


Singularity (Partial Hiatus)

by TheIntellectualWeeb



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003), Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Angst, Cross-Posted on Quotev, Crossover, Don't copy to another site, Eventual Romance, Fluff, Historical AU, Hurt/Comfort, I mean VERY slow burn, I'll add more tags as I need them, I'll break your heart, I'll fix it, Insecurities, Loneliness, Lots of OCs - Freeform, M/M, Omegaverse, Reader Insert, Reincarnation AU, Self-Acceptance, Slow Burn, alpha male reader, and as I introduce characters, but don't worry, but idk i figured more people could enjoy it as an insert, honestly i write this to help me manage my stress, i originally was going to write this with my oc, it's helping to keep me sane, lots of canon characters, lots of pining, world building
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-13
Updated: 2020-01-28
Packaged: 2020-03-02 18:55:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 39,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18816979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheIntellectualWeeb/pseuds/TheIntellectualWeeb
Summary: Fullmetal Alchemist/Naruto Omegaverse AU Crossover.Uchiha Madara x Alchemist!Male Reader x Slight Various.You were convinced he was a singularity of this world. Although... he could say the same about you.





	1. Author's Note (PLEASE READ)

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for me, so it's a really self indulgent fic. But sharing is caring, so you all can read it if you want^^

Here we go.

Warning- I curse sometimes. I try to edit it out of my writing so more people can enjoy it, but if that offends you sorry not sorry. Turn back now, because this is a fic about shinobi. They're hardened warriors, so I like to think they know what a curse word is.

Also warning- under age marriage and underage dirty doing is _mentioned_  (not depicted) because it's a historical AU. The general age to be considered able to give consent in the world (in modern times) is 16 years old (younger than that if you take history into account). If that's not ok with you, then don't read. Try to remember that the age of consent is different between countries and varies throughout history. Also, this is a work of fiction so the people involved are NOT REAL. I repeat- FICTIONAL CHARACTERS. So please don't set me on fire.

Third warning- this story will NOT be everyone's cup of tea. It will have a/b/o dynamics, aka omegaverse. This story is my cheap attempt to get rid of many of the more disgusting tropes (read-  ~~rape~~  dubcon) involved with this AU. I think it's possible to write a story involved with the Omegaverse AU that doesn't include all of the more controversial themes It will ALSO be a historical fiction/reincarnation AU. That means you'll see more characters than just the ones from the Warring States period. This story is kinda a clusterfuck because I can.

I'm using creative liberties on the canon. Ages, bloodlines, and minor stuff will be a bit different.

There will be OCs and probs OoC canon characters as well, but I'll try to keep everyone within their personalities. I'll try and do a lot of character development before/if I tweak a character's personality.

Very slow burn and plot-heavy.

Overpowered Reader-san to sate my narcissism.

Reincarnated Reader-san.

The story will probably get chaotic af. Whatever. I'm winging it. I do what I want.

I don't own FMA, you, or Naruto.

Comments are much appreciated and if you see any errors, please tell me.

These are the basics just in case anyone is new to reading xreaders...

(Y/N) - Your Name

(h/c) - hair color

(e/c) - eye color

(s/c) - skin color

This list will be updated as the story goes on.

 _Italics_ are Japanese words or character thoughts.

Also, reader will obviously top because I find it difficult to write a bottom reader. Not that I won't write a bottom reader in the future, but I'm not going to now.


	2. Prologue I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vague prologue of Madara

Hidden away from the eyes of a feudal world,  _shinobi_  clans warred over territory and resources. Deep in the wilderness of the Land of Fire chakra flared, blades flashed and blood splattered. The two most prominent clans of the land, the Senju and the Uchiha, destructively fought in the forest. The rival clans had hated each other for so long, they could no longer remember what their feud was originally about. Clan head Alphas Uchiha Tajima and Senju Butsuma didn't particularly care if the tract of land they fought over was mildly useless. Each man was confident in their desire to see the other dead for wanting it. Their clansmen shared their personal hatred, passed down through the generations. And now, the time was almost upon them to pass it on to their children.

The scent of rage, fear, and excitement permeated the air in a noxious mix for the _shinobi_ strewn about the wooded battlefield. The air was thick with the mixed scents of over a hundred _shinobi_ , choking the sharper senses of the Alphas and Omegas as the two clans clashed, the more mild-mannered Betas' heads remaining clear.

Having less direct blood ties with the First Alpha, Otsutsuki Kaguya, most people fell under the Beta status, a neutral middle ground status without incessant hormonal needs. They had weaker physical strength and senses, but were smarter than average because their minds were less instinctually driven. Their scents were weaker, smelling of something fresh like basil or a summer breeze.

Omegas tended to be female. They usually had softer personalities and were social, but could become aggressive when in a heat or nesting children. Omegas were highly sought after by the _shinobi_ clans because of being stronger child bearers than Betas. Once a season, an Omega's hormones will send her into a state called "heat." This, named after the burning sensation she feels internally, brought about by a raised body temperature, hazy mind, weakened physical strength, and increased fertility. During this time, their scent becomes particularly enticing to attract potential mates. Omegas have a sweeter scent such as vanilla or water lilies.

Alphas were few, though much more common in the _shinobi_ clans than regular society. At present, all Alphas are male, as there has only been one female Alpha recorded in history: the progenitor of chakra, Kaguya herself. Alphas were coveted by _shinobi_ clans for their aggressive nature on the battlefield and held with higher respect and status within a clan. Alphas, like Omegas, have hormonal states about once a season. Unlike an Omegas's heat, the Alpha state is called a "rut." During this state, the male's physical strength, reflexes, and senses increase as his mind clouds with a strong instinct to find a desirable smelling Omega (or even a Beta) to reproduce with. Alphas have strong, heady scents like a campfire or cedarwood.

It wasn't unheard of, but it was fairly uncommon for a male to present as an Omega. Male Omegas weren't necessarily frowned upon, but it constituted a life of always working to earn the respect of your clansmen, alienation from peers, and the inability to create a family. The last one isn't because of infertility, but rather blamed on the lack of both male Alphas willing to take on male partners, and female Alphas in general. This led to a life of loneliness and depression for the male Omega if they couldn't find a willing Beta.

Though male Omegas were more common in his own clan than others, being born two to three per generation, the young Uchiha Madara was confident he would present as an Alpha. Being the heir to the clan, his father raised him from the start as an Alpha, and with his strong scent it practically guaranteed his status. All of his friends had presented Alpha or Beta. Even his secret friend from another clan, Hashirama had presented as an Alpha recently. Being surrounded by a culture steeped in the importance of being an Alpha, he was confident in his place at the top of the world. Until his first heat hit him at fourteen.

Mortified at his son's status, his father Tajima hid it from the clan, continuing to raise Madara as an Alpha. Harsher training, scent blocking oils, heat suppressing herbs, separation from his peers, and the adamant refusal to contract his son into marriage. Though Madara would have rather have been an Alpha, the comfort of his childhood friend Hashirama soothed the ache in his heart.

When the Uchiha and Senju clans found themselves deadlocked in war again, the two were ripped apart, choosing to protect their families over their friendship. It was facing his friend Hashirama in the field their fathers clashed over that the teenaged Madara discovered a love of battle that brought him peace.

At the age of fifteen, Madara reveled in the contentment battle brought him until his fourteen-year-old brother, Izuna, presented as an Alpha. Devastated that his position as clan heir might be stolen from him by his little brother, the young Uchiha completely dedicated himself to his training. Struggling with his feelings of inferiority, Madara's Sharingan evolved into a Mangekyou as he sharpened his skills on the battlefield.

Revered by his clan as a prodigy, Madara was unparalleled by all, except his childhood friend Senju Hashirama. With his place as his father's heir secured, Madara was content with his life. The respect he earned as a _shinobi_ carried through his teenage years, even as he made the decision to reveal himself to his clan.

However, the darkness of war was brewing again as the Senju clan's close ally, the prominent Uzumaki clan, forged a pact through a contract with the enormous and talented Hyuga clan. The two clans planned to merge within the next decade years with the marriage of their heirs, Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuga Hinata. Scrambling for allies, the Uchiha set their sights on the secluded Miyamoto clan. Eagerly awaiting the coming war in his teens, Madara has all but banished thoughts of ever finding a mate or having a family of his own. After all, who needs an Alpha when you've got battle?


	3. Prologue II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader's background and basic plot is explained.

_What the actual hell,_ you thought as you looked around. White surrounded you as you stood in front of a strange, crouching humanoid. Behind it was an enormous stone slab engraved in alchemical languages. To your left stood Edward Elric. To his left was Alphonse. You hadn't seen them in years, not since they had left Amestris to travel across the nations. The expressions on the brothers faces conveyed the confusion you felt.

"Truth!" Ed shouted, pointing vehemently at the grinning thing in front of you, "What are you doing here?! What's the meaning of this?!"

'Truth's' grin seemed to widen as you turned to the older Elric, crossing your arms, "You know this guy, Ed?"

He glanced over at you, shocked. His confused expression contorted with anger as he reached out to grip your collar, "(Y/N) what have you done?! Did our hardship mean nothing to you?! Tell me you didn't do it! You wouldn't attempt the taboo!" He suddenly sounded unsure of himself, "Would you?"

You scowled as you gripped his wrists tightly, offended that he would think so low of you after you fought the homunculi alongside the brothers and the current Führer, Roy Mustang.

Al placed a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder before you could snap something scathing at Edward, "Ed, stop. Even if he did, we're in different countries right now. If it involved human transmutation, we wouldn't be here too."

Ed's shoulders slumped a little at that. He unfurled his grip from your uniform shirt as you released his wrists. With his temper diffused, you relaxed, "So, you guys are familiar with this place?" You gestured around the vast clean emptiness.

Ed's face darkened as Al solemnly nodded.

"Yeah," Al filled in, "this place is something like a gateway to the root of alchemy. But it's only opened to people who commit the taboo." He and Edward glanced at Truth with sour looks on their faces.

You turned your attention to the entity, a curious look on your face. You had never attempted the taboo. You were just a State Alchemist previously assigned to Briggs before transferring to Central to work for Führer Mustang. Nothing special. You knew basic alchemy for the earth, but specialized in water alchemy. Though, you were more known for your powerful alchemic manipulation of the ice on the northern border with Drachma. Your alchemy specialization was why you worked under General Armstrong at Fort Briggs for the majority of your career.

You pursed your lips as you asked Truth, "I've never attempted human transmutation, so why am I here?" You asked.

Ed cut in, "Yeah, we didn't open the gate either, so what's the deal, asshole?"

Truth looked at the three of you for a moment, the unnerving grin still on his face, before he explained. "Because I don't like it. I think you guys could achieve better than you did. I want you, Elric brothers, to try again."

_What?_

Truth continued, "In the spirit of the law of equivalent exchange, I'm taking your lives, Elrics. Have fun reliving everything. Hopefully this time, you'll make the correct choices."

Black tendrils of hands launched themselves towards the brothers as they yelled.

"You can't do this!"

"You have no right!"

"(Y/N)!"

You still weren't entirely sure what was going on, but the Elrics seemed to know more about the situation than you and you trusted them. Thus, their obvious fear did not bode well with you. Your soldier's instincts kicked in at the desperate tone of their voices. You launched yourself toward Ed to grab him before it dragged him through the doorway by the black tendrils.

Your fingers locked with his and you saw the tears of relief in his wide golden eyes as you caught him, Al gripped with his other hand. Until his face twisted in pain; the little hands had tore into him, dismantling his flesh on a subatomic level. You watched in horror as first Alphonse, then Edward, disintegrated before your eyes as they wailed out in pain. Your fingers clenched the empty air where Ed's fingers had previously woven into yours as a lifeline just moments before, the brothers' torsos being dragged behind Truth and into the gate by the inky tendrils.

You stumbled onto your knees before Truth as you watched in shock and hysteria as it dragged them screaming through the gate. You scrambled forward after the men you considered brothers, the gate clicking shut just before you reached it. You grit your teeth as you pivoted, slamming your shoulder into the stone slabs in a pathetic attempt to reopen the gate. It didn't budge.

Truth chuckled at your distress as he said "The two of them have dealt with me before, they know how this works."

Your mind was numb. Your legs lost feeling as you felt yourself go into shock, fear trickling down your spine more thickly than the sweat on your brow. Clenching your trembling fists, you slumped to the ground. You peeked at Truth from the corner of your eye, assessing it. The thing was strong. There was no way you could fight it. Even if you could, you weren't sure if it would bring back your friends. So instead, you whispered, "I'm having issues coming to terms with this development. Please explain the situation."

Truth looked at you, his grin diminishing slightly, "I suppose I have time. Here's the schtick: the Elrics have things they need to accomplish in life they didn't do correctly. They won't be able to do things the way they're supposed to, as long as you're in the mix. So, I'm pulling you out while I give them a 'reset' of sorts. In exchange, they are starting over from birth. No identity, no memories, no you."

You faced the silhouette in mild horror, "You're reincarnating them, just to make them go through all that bullshit again?"

"Something like that."

You were silent for a moment.  _They won't remember me in their next life. Or this life since they are redoing this one._  Truth cut into your thoughts, "As for you, you're not going back to Amestris." You looked up at it in confusion.

"You're sending me to another country?"

"Try world."

You blinked at him,  _wait what?_ Truth continued before you had the chance to butt in, "Since the premature death you experienced in your first life, you've done nothing but throw timelines awry and cause chaos. But I've learned my lessons. The chaos you cause has nothing to do with you personally. I won't start you over in a main world again."

"Wait, first life?" You didn't remember having any other lives than this.

"Yes, your first life was in the Origin World: the universe that connects all the others. You died while attending college, instead of continuing on with your life to be a physicist and contribute to several large breakthroughs in the scientific community. But you didn't. You died at twenty-three instead of being written in the history books. But since the Origin World doesn't reincarnate souls, I put your soul into a parallel world. I exchanged your lifespan and had you born into that world. You were an incredibly loved hero. I didn't exchange your memories in that life. Your previous life's college major helped you master your quirk, and you saved many people. Unfortunately, I realized my mistake in sending you there when the media named you as the Number One Hero and I had to pull your soul from that world and reset it," Truth continued.

"Your third life, I exchanged your memories instead of your lifespan, hoping that would help calm the turmoil that surrounded you. That's why you woke in the backstreets of Amestris with amnesia. When you unintentionally sent Edward on the path to a different future than the one he is destined to have with Winry, I realized the chaotic nature of your spirit had nothing to do with you, your knowledge, or your memories but the fact you are from the Origin World. Your spirit aggressively rejects assimilating to other worlds and screws with the timeline because of this."

That was a lot of information to absorb. Many questions flew in and out of your mind as you sat there attempting to absorb all the information that was just thrown at you. The most prevalent question on your mind though, was "If I don't fit into any world but my own, and it won't take me back, what will happen? Am I going to sit here with you for all eternity?"

Truth scoffed before smirking, "Absolutely not. I'm not spending any more time with you than I have to. I know the perfect world to throw you in. Not a main world, because I'm tired of resetting those, but a branch world. It's an 'alternate universe' if you will. They aren't as important as the main worlds, so chaotic timelines are acceptable."

"Gotta admit, I'm not a fan of being  _thrown_ anywhere," you mumbled as your heart clenched, vividly remembering the screaming brothers being dragged through the gate just minutes ago. You shook your head to clear the image of Ed's tears from your mind. "What makes you think this world will be one I can assimilate to 'spiritually' or whatever?"

"Well, you'll pick up the language easy because it's similar to the language you spoke in your second life. Other than that, it's not so much an idea you'll do well there, but more the idea that the world's timeline needs chaos. And chaos is what you do best."

"Oh, wonderful." You found it within you to roll your eyes.

Truth clapped his hands together in front of him as he grinned, "Right, now that explanations are over and you seemed to have calmed down, you know the rule. Let's talk exchange! I'm inserting your soul into the womb of a woman I have picked out, so you will be conceived and reborn when she fornicates. You will have a full lifespan in a new world, however, I will have to take your remaining current lifespan and physical capabilities in exchange. That's why I summoned you before you died. A life for a life, a future for a future. I would like for you to remember our exchange and your previous life as an alchemist, so I prepared for this. I took the Elrics' memories in exchange for you keeping yours. Sound good?"

"I don't get a say in this, do I?"

"No, because your real story ended and I don't have a way to fix that. I operate on equivalent exchange, so this is how it goes. I'm trying to help you out. Your spirit can't rest until it finds peace in a world."

"On who's authority?"

"I don't need authority. I am God. I am Truth. I am the root of everything and the end-all. Which brings us to the last exchange. I need you to do something for me, which is why I want you to keep your memories. In exchange for this favor, I will give you access to the Eye of God when you need it."

You sighed, "So what is it you want me to do?"

"In this specific sub-world, something screws the timelines up and no matter how many times I reset it, it won't reach the same endgame as its main world. After several resets, I've traced the disturbance to a singular entity called the Zetsu. It's a fake me created by the Progenitor. The Zetsu is similar to the Dwarf in the Flask you know as the Father of Homunculi in Amestris, a cheap imitation of myself created by the will of a mortal. In the main world of the timeline, they defeat the thing and its creator and everything wraps up well. But in this particular sub-world, the Zetsu gets the upper hand, throwing everything awry, and the world falls into the hands of the Progenitor. I need you to fix that before the world proverbially collapses in on itself beyond the metaphorical point of no-return. Take the Zetsu out of commission before it awakens the Progenitor, and it the world will repair itself."

You deadpanned at Truth, about to object and ask him to just let you whither away with only him as company for yourself. That sounded better to you at the moment. You didn't really have the energy to save a world right now.

Truth interrupted your negative thoughts again, "I really don't want to have to scrap worlds if I don't have to, because then I have to do something with all the leftover energy and matter, but that's where the situation is heading if nothing changes. I don't have the ability to intervene directly, so I'm sending your chaotic soul instead. I suggest you don't fuss too much about it, because I'm putting you in that world, regardless. And if you remain idle, I will scrap your soul along with the rest if it. Then, I don't have to deal with your troublesome soul or the crazy world. Whether or not you eliminate the Zetsu, I win. I don't particularly care which outcome happens."

You grimaced,  _it's blackmail now, is it?_  You sighed, "Fine, whatever you want. I'll do it."

Truth grinned as the gate you were leaning against cracked open and you fell through, the black tendrils reaching for you. The little hands vice gripped your limbs like they had previously done to Ed and Al, dragging you further through the gate. You kept your eyes on Truth as he spoke again.

"Remember, find the Zetsu and destroy it. Other than that, you can do whatever you want. I don't care. The world is now your sandbox to shape or wreck as you like."

That's when the searing pain of being transmuted hit you. You screamed out, the faint sounds of children's laughter echoing in your ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is based on the theory that FMA:B is Truth being unsatisfied with the ending of FMA, and being like "try again."
> 
> Hope you like it so far. Feel free to comment or offer constructive criticism on typos.


	4. [1]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Reader gains consciousness in his next life, only to discover he is already the center of hushed debates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all like your mother. She's actually one of my favorite OCs I've ever created^^ I could write an entire series on her character development that happens in the background of this story,

The first thing you realize is that you don't recall your own birth. Thank god. No, not really. If God was that 'Truth' asshole, you wouldn't thank him for shit.

The second thing you realized was that you were a few months old already. Perks of having an infant's brain, you supposed.

Third, you had a mother.

The last wouldn't normally be strange, and you were sure you had one previously. After all, Truth had said this would be your fourth life so far. However, since all you could remember was your third life, you only remember waking up in the backstreets of Central as a young adult. Thus, you couldn't recall a mother because Truth had said he wiped your memories between your second and third lives.  _That_ conversation, you remembered well.

You also remembered the task he had given you.  _Find the Zetsu and destroy it. Whatever it is._

But for now, you decided that learning to walk was definitely a priority. Gripping the rocks next to your mother as she washed her laundry in the stream, you hoisted yourself up on unsteady legs. Standing quietly with your feet in the creek water, you grinned to yourself. Phase one: complete. Onto phase two.

You unsteadily shuffled one leg sideways, letting go of the rock with one hand. Keeping a vice grip on the rock with the remaining chubby hand, you delicately placed one foot in front of the other in a single step forward. Smirking to yourself, you doubled your grip on the rock as you tentatively brought your other leg forward before your mother's gasp broke your concentration.

Whipping your head to the side to see what was wrong, your hand slipped from the rock. Your face contorted with fear as you plummeted toward the rocky creek bed. Your mother lunged, reaching a hand out to catch your torso, your nose stopping a centimeter from the water.

Looking over at your mother, you realized she had dumped her laundry into the creek and had sprawled herself across the shallows to catch you. For some reason, you found her half-drowned image absolutely hilarious. And so you laughed, your baby voice coming out high-pitched.

Your mother deadpanned in exasperation before chuckling a few times as she fished the both of you out of the water.

"You're rather ornery, aren't you? Still it's rather amazing you're already attempting to walk at four and a half months." Her soft voice calmed your bellyaching laughs for a few moments as you grinned up at her before squealing another laugh at her.

You weren't sure if it was because you were an infant or because you couldn't recall having a mother before, but you found yourself very attached to this woman who gave birth to you. Your big (e/c) eyes looked up at her as she set you back on the bank while she collected the strewn laundry from the shore.

She was a tall, lithe woman with pale skin. She had dark brown, nearly black hair she kept off her forehead with a thick, tan bandanna. Her eyes were a pretty pale blue. As you looked at her, you realized just how beautiful she was. Her name was Hyūga Yoko, and you guessed her to be around the age of eighteen.

You watched her quietly as she finished her laundry, playing absentmindedly with the smooth pebbles you sat on. After she finished, she collected the wet laundry in her basket and stopped to pick you up before strolling into the tree line.

You tossed your chubby arms around her neck, gripping the back of her peach colored  _yukata._ You listened as she hummed a quiet lullaby, her scent of water lilies calming your restless energy until you nodded off on her shoulder.

\---

You roused from your sleep as your mother walked down the main street of the enormous clan compound, the Hyūga symbol seen intermittently on banners and painted on doors across the square. The crest reminded you of an upside down "A" and had a small flame swirled in the middle.

You noticed that your mother had changed out of her  _yukata_  for a navy blue  _houmongi_  with a cream-colored floral pattern, the vivid red Hyūga crest sewn into the cuffs of her sleeves and on her back. Her bandana disappeared, her hair elegantly pinned to the back of her head. You also noticed that she had changed you out of your play clothes for a clean set of mildly formal ones.

 _How long was_ _I_ _asleep?_ You marveled at your mother's talent of changing you without you waking up. She smiled when she noticed your wakefulness.

"We're going to pick your father up from one of the clan elder's houses and walk him home for dinner."

You huffed, pouting at the mention of your father. He was a stern man by the name of Hideo. You didn't particularly enjoy his company as he tended to ignore your existence. Your mother was the man's second wife, thus held a lower status than he and his primary wife, Himari. Your mother took care of the cooking, cleaning, and child care alongside Hideo's third wife, Kiyoki, while Himari stayed by Hideo's side and took care of finances and running the household. Though, with Himari heavily pregnant with her firstborn, Yoko had taken up her duties in addition to her own.

Because you were born of Hideo's second wife, the clan did not acknowledge you as his child unless Himari decided to adopt you. That was unlikely as she was still currently carrying her firstborn child in her womb. The firstborn child of the primary was supposed to be the heir. Since you had already been born, you wouldn't be adopted into the main family and were destined to serve and protect Himari's child from the moment she conceived.

You decided you were alright with that, so long as you were with your mother.

As your mother strolled through the compound, you were mesmerized by all the sights and smells. The sun was beginning to set, washing the village in a beautiful orange. The smell of fresh dango and pork buns wafted around you, whetting your appetite.

Yoko sat on a bench outside the gates of an extravagant home, sitting you in her lap to enjoy the warm summer air. You amused yourself by playing with the hemlines of your mother's _kimono_ as you waited for your father.

After some time, your mother stood up, greeting Hideo at the open gates of the garden in front of the large house. Yoko spoke a quiet greeting as you studied the man. The man was around the age of twenty-four and tall, with broad shoulders and long, medium brown hair draping down his back. His eyes were the customary pale lavender of the Hyūga clan. You briefly compared him to Yoko. She had the general structure and looks of a Hyūga and pale eyes. But hers were tinted blue instead of lavender. You briefly debated her mixed heritage within the confines of your mind.

You decided to ask her about it when you could speak properly.

\---

The walk home was quiet, your mother trailing slightly behind and to the right of your father.

Once back within the confines of the building you called home, your mother washed you up in the water basin in the corner of the kitchen. She walked you into the dining area and set you on the  _tatami_ floor while she went to help Kiyoki bring out the food from the  _irori_. Your father kneeled on his usual  _zabuton_  cushion at the low  _chabudai_  table between Himari and the open  _shoji_. You saw the  _amado_  were closed for the night, various lamps lit and casting a warm glow over the  _engawa_  and dining room.

You turned your attention back to the  _chabudai_  when you heard Himari coo a greeting at you. You smiled at her, crawling closer to the heavily pregnant noblewoman. You thought the twenty-year-old woman looked lovely in the warmth of the dining room. You sat kneeled next to her as she spoke softly to you about her day as she carded her fingers through your short hair, the (h/c) roots fading into a light grey at the ends of the strands, giving your hair a frosted look.

Himari really was a sweet woman, like Yoko, although you still preferred your mother's presence. You attentively listened as she told you about how many times the baby kicked, smiling as you reached out gentle hands to pat her belly. You hoped to feel the soon-to-be-born sibling of yours, but it was still at the moment.

Your attention was dragged from Himari as your mother and Kiyoki brought in platters of food the younger wife had prepared over the  _irori_  while you and your mother escorted your father home. You watched as Kiyoki fumbled one of the dishes, barely catching it before it clattered onto the table. The third wife was a rather nervous young girl, about the age of sixteen, that your father married only about two weeks ago.

Your mother picked you up gently, sitting you in her lap as she settled onto the  _zabuton_  across from Hideo, Kiyoki sitting across from Himari. You looked at the meal spread across the table.  _Tonkatsu_ ,  _yakisoba_ , and  _gyudon_  tonight.

A short prayer was said over the food before your mother dished a little bowl of rice, Kiyoki pouring everyone a steaming cup of fresh green tea. You watched as your mother poured a bit of green tea over the little bowl of rice, offering you some of the softened rice on a wooden spoon.

You pouted. You didn't want soft rice for dinner again. You really wanted to try the "adult food" on the table. The breaded chicken in particular smelled delightful. You growled and leaned away from your mother, dodging the wooden spoon as you tried to dive onto the table to swipe some of the delicious smelling meat.

Gasping, Yoko dropped the wooden spoon back into the little bowl, pulling you back onto her lap with a sharp, "No!"

You scowled over your shoulder at your mother, her grip on you tightening as you tried to wiggle out of her lap. You wanted some meat, damn it!

Your mother looked back sternly at you with an exasperated "You don't have teeth yet, (Y/N)! Only soft foods for you."

You pouted at her, your bottom lip sticking out with a soft whine. Your mother sighed, exasperated at your antics, "No tough foods until you start teething, you ornery pup."

Damn. Begging would not get you anywhere with her. You swiveled your head back to the table, angrily eyeing the sad little bowl of rice and tea in front of you. After mentally preparing yourself, you simply dropped your jaw, waiting for Yoko to feed you, the angry scowl still on your face.

You heard Himari giggle at you as Yoko spooned a little bit of rice into your mouth.

"He's quite a rascal, isn't he?" Himari tittered with a smile as you growled lightly at her amusement with your situation.

"No growling at the  _chabudai_ ," Hideo disciplined you, his eyes hard. Your expression darkened as you chewed in an aggressive manner toward the man, silencing the noise from your throat.

"Intelligent and handsome too. It really is a shame he was born first," as Himari continued, rubbing her stomach, you felt Yoko's fingers tighten almost imperceptibly around your middle, "He's going to be quite the Alpha when he grows up. I would love to have him as my own son."

You knew Himari had meant no harm with the statement, but there was suddenly a lump in your throat at the idea of being separated from Yoko. You chewed another bite slowly, glaring darkly at the bowl of rice in front of you; the dinner continuing around you without another hitch.

After the meal, Hideo stopped your mother as she and Kiyoki attempted to clear the table. You were sitting on the  _tatami_  next to the table, yawning tiredly as you studied the intricately carved wooden  _ranma_  above the  _fusuma_  doors.

"We need to discuss my meeting with the elders today."

Yoko looked at him before slowly sitting back down in front of him. Kiyoki finished clearing the table and proceeded to help Himari to her feet. Himari allowed herself to be escorted out of the room, but not before sending a worried look towards the occupants of the room. Kiyoki quietly slid the  _fusuma_  shut behind them.

You turned your attention towards the adults as the conversation proceeded, Hideo continuing with his statement as you made your way to your mother.

"They are raising questions about (Y/N)'s heritage." Your father glanced at you as you said this, but your eyes were stuck on the glimmer of fear in your mother's blue eyes.

"And?" Your mother's shaky, quiet voice.

Hideo sighed, "I know he is not of my seed. You were another man's before your parents contracted you." Yoko's breath hitched, twining her fingers tightly together as he continued, "The council has suspicions about it. They can't rationalize the white in his hair as a Hyūga trait or even from the blood of your Namikaze mother."

Yoko looked at you, her eyes full of sadness and love.

Hideo's eyes drifted to you as well, "They petitioned me to divorce you and have him disposed of." Yoko's face contorted in horror at her husband, hurriedly scooping you up with trembling hands, caging you in her protective arms as she glared at him.

Hideo raised his hands toward the distressed Omega, speaking softly, "Settle yourself Yoko, I told them I did not wish harm upon an innocent child of my household, regardless of whether he was mine. I managed to negotiate them away from such extreme measures since the pup has not inherited the Byakugan yet."

Your mother's tense muscles relaxed a fraction, but she remained quiet, her breathing uneven. The sharp, sour smell of her fear choked you, waking you out of your sleepy state as you watched Hideo cautiously. The man breathed in relief that Yoko hadn't fled with you.

"The best I was able to negotiate is this: (Y/N) is to be left alone so long as he serves the household diligently. If you both keep a good standing with the council, they are willing to let him off with only sealing the Byakugan, should he awaken it because his birth is not honored by the clan. However, if he awakens the  _dojutsu_  while possessing a bad standing with the council, they will send an ANBU. With or without my consent."

You heard your mother swallow thickly. You were only one-quarter Hyūga if Hideo didn't sire you. The  _kekkei_   _genkai_  was a dominant trait. Your odds of surviving past the age of five weren't bad, but weren't great either. But you weren't a proud Briggs soldier for nothing. Your eyes glinted in the candlelight.

Hideo gave Yoko a soft look as she gave a choppy nod before he dismissed her from the room. Your mother held you tightly as she sluggishly made her way to your shared room. Thankfully, only Himari shared a room with Hideo, Yoko and Kiyoki each in their own rooms. Naturally you shared with your mother. You sat on the  _tatami_  as you watched your mother roll out her  _futon_  and ready herself, then you, for bed with trembling hands. Her mind was obviously still on Hideo's words.

You sighed as she pulled you into the pillow next to her. You thought about how long these next few years were going to be for your dear mother as you snuggled into her warmth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to leave a comment on anything! Typos, questions, reactions, ideas, what you liked or didn't like, what needs clarification, or whatever you want to talk about! I love interacting with readers via comments.


	5. [2]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get complicated when the Reader is training and Yoko panics.

It was a few weeks before your fifth birthday when it happened.

You were outside, in the sandy inner courtyard of your home, practicing your  _kunai_  throwing, Hinami's firstborn son standing with you. The newly turned four-year-old's name was Daichi, and the boy looked just like Hideo. The quiet child liked to spend his time following you around in silent awe and watch you train instead of partaking in it himself.

Your mother sat on the engawa behind you, sipping on some kind of tea as she warily watched you handle the weapons. The last few years had not been kind to her, making her jumpy with anything concerning your safety, her haggard looks betraying her routine lack of sleep with darkened circles under her eyes.

There was a small tree in one corner that had a target pinned to its bark; the other corners had targets on sturdy wooden posts.

You stood in a relaxed manner with your eyes closed as you steadied your breath. _In, out. In, and out._ Snapping your eyes open, your (e/c) hues darted right, narrowing in on the target. Loosing a single  _kunai_  towards the tree, you quickly spun on your heel, flinging out two more  _kunai_  simultaneously from your right and left hand towards the targets on the posts to either side of you.

Eyes narrowing into slits you backflipped, landing in a defensive position. Your left shoulder jolted, another  _kunai_  slipping down your sleeve and into your grip. As soon as the cool metal brushed your fingertips, you flicked the blade into a reverse grip. Your right hand slid into a pouch tied to your thigh, your fingers gripping another blade loosely.

The muscles in your legs flexed and you sprang forward, your intense focus solely on your imaginary foes. And suddenly, everything around you gained a translucent look. You could  _see_ all around you in immaculate detail. In a single moment, everything in the courtyard was in your widened field of vision, from the look of surprise on Daichi's face to every chip in the paint of each target. You could count the drops of tea sailing through the air from your mother's dropped cup.

You dodged and weaved, your eyes flicking around you, your small body flexing and tensing each time you slashed a kunai at an invisible enemy. Launching yourself into the air and twisting backwards, you spun the  _kunai_  in your left hand before hooking a finger into the round end of the handle and launching it at the final target. You heard the satisfying  _thunk_ that signified a hit target.

Landing in a crouch, you looked up at the post. The kunai hit the target dead center. You beamed in excitement. You were drastically improving. If only your  _shuriken_  training would go this well, you'd be set. Turning to Yoko with a beaming smile, you faltered at the look of horror on her face.

Your mother rushed over to you, stumbling onto her knees in front of your small figure. You dropped your remaining  _kunai_  in surprise; the blade embedding into the soft dirt by your foot. Yoko hastily cupped the sides of your face, her lips trembling as she mumbled "No, no, no" repeatedly, her eyes flicking between your own. You were fascinated by the sight of her. You could see the chakra flowing through her translucent body clearly, little knots in the chakra streams at the points you learned about when you first began studying the Gentle Fist.

"Put those away, sweetheart, you have to put those eyes away," she said, her thumbs gently brushing under your eye sockets, "Just take a deep breath and focus on pulling your chakra away from your eyes."

You blinked at her before mentally shrugging and closing your eyes, doing as she said. After a few moments, you felt the muscles around your eyes relax and the skin loosening. You hadn't realized your face was that tense. You blinked your eyes open at your mother when you heard her sigh in relief. She relaxed at the sight of your whitened hues returning to their normal (e/c).

"Woah! (Y/N)-niisan has the Byakugan already!" Daichi piped up beside the two of you, Yoko tensing as she realized there was another witness. The two of you looked at the younger boy before your mother smiled at Daichi and shushing the excited boy with a finger on his lips.

"Keep it a secret for now, so we can surprise everyone at dinner, ok Daichi- _san_?"

The boy's lavender eyes lit up at the word 'surprise' and he nodded his head, a happy grin on his face.

"You got it, Yoko- _oba_!"

You eyed Yoko with a concerned look. Her smile towards the oblivious boy was clearly fake and the air around her subtly tinged with the smell of her fear.

"Daichi- _san_ , have you finished your studies on chakra points for the day?" Your mother continued to smile at the other boy, her arm looping around you and dragging you closer to her chest. Apprehension showed on Daichi's face, indicating that he had not. Your mother directed the boy back to his own studies with a quick motivational word before scooping you into her arms as she stood up, propping you on her hip.

Yoko quickly made her way back into the house, nodding at Kiyoki as she swiftly made her way down the corridor and into your shared room. Under her breath, you heard her mumble a quiet thanks to the gods that Hideo and Himari were scheduled to be out of the house all day. Yoko gently set you on the  _tatami_  before turning and exiting _,_ whispering for you to wait for her to return.

You shrugged and sat in the center of the room, crossing your ankles. Soon enough, Yoko reentered, quietly closing the  _fusuma_ behind her. Approaching you, she handed you the  _kunai_  you left back in the courtyard, indicating for you to slip them back into their pouches. You did so quietly and turned your attention to Yoko and ignoring the small pouch smelling faintly of dried meat and bread she set beside you. She turned away and rummaged through the closet, pulling out and changing into a loose set of clothes, pants and a tunic, clearly meant for training. Next she gripped the  _futon_  and set it aside, still folded neatly. You watched your mother intently as she pried up one of the floorboards and pulled out a small rucksack. She also pulled up a weapons pouch containing an array of  _kunai_  and  _shurikens_  as well as small plates of well-worn armor.

Yoko quickly strapped the chest plate, forearm and shin guards on, and tied the weapons pouch to her thigh. She placed the floorboard back into its spot and slipped the  _futon_  back into the closet over top of it. Placing the small bag of food into the rucksack, she then tossed the whole thing over her shoulders and strapped it securely to her torso. She quickly scooped you up, holding you tightly. Before she exited, she stopped in front of the closed  _fusuma_ ,taking a deep breath and closing her eyes.

Releasing the breath sharply, her eyes snapped open, the iris and pupil diluting to a whitish color. The skin around her eyes tightened, her veins bulging prominently. It was the Byakugan. Scanning the house for a few seconds to make sure the hall was clear, Yoko slipped through the doorway and turned toward the back of the property. Jogging to the end of the  _engawa_ ,she hopped off the edge, reached underneath and rummaged through the shadows. She pulled out a pair of sandals and slipped them onto her feet one-handed. Quickly fastening the straps around her ankles, she darted across the yard and launched herself up, concentrating her chakra into soles of her feet as she sprinted up and over the tall, solid wall surrounding the Hyūga compound. Reaching the top, she sprang into the canopy of trees on the other side.

You stayed quiet in her arms for a while as you watched the passing trees blur with your mother's speed. Only when the sun began to dip toward the horizon did your mother dare to let her guard down, sighing heavily in fatigue as she deactivated her Byakugan. She dropped out of the branches and onto the forest floor in a spot with little underbrush. Plopping down into the crux of the roots at the base of a large tree, she finally relaxed her grip on you.

You raised an eyebrow at her erratic behavior,  _"Kaa_ - _san,"_ you began, "what are we doing in the woods?" Yoko looked startled at your questioning as she met your gaze.

She took a few deep breaths before answering you,  _"Musuko,_ sweetheart. We are leaving the Hyūga compound. We will head north toward the mountains."

"Why?"

"B-Because... bad things will happen to you if we stay," She continued at your skeptical look, "I did something before you were born that doesn't sit well with the Hyūga and it's going to catch up if we don't leave now."

You puffed your cheeks at her as your soldier mentality showed itself again, "Isn't it always better to confront your problems when they arise? Ignoring them will only make them fester, right?"

Yoko was silent for a moment as she squinted at you, before shrugging your concern off, "Perhaps. In most circumstances, you would be correct. This time though, I no longer feel we would be safe with the Hyūga, so this is what we are doing."

You hummed quietly in affirmation, deciding to let the conversation die there when your mother loosed the leather rucksack from her back. She stood up, standing you on the ground before standing and pulling her dark hair back. She tied the wild strands back with a leather strap.

"Alright," Yoko began, propping her hands onto her hips, "now that you've awakened the Byakugan, there's no going back. You've already started your training of chakra control for the Gentle Fist, and now I will begin your  _dojutsu_ training." You stood up straighter, listening to her instruction.

"First off is chakra distribution. Not much chakra is required to activate the Byakugan after it's initial awakening. However, you must ration it to your eyes and then focus a minimal amount into the occipital lobe of your brain, which is right here," Yoko reached her hands down to gently rub at the base area of your skull, just above your spinal cord. You caught the purr at her ministrations in your throat as she continued the explanation, "Sending too much chakra into your brain or eyes too fast can cause brain damage or blindness respectively, so if you fatigue or get a headache, release your Byakugan. When you're first starting out, it makes it easier to ration your chakra correctly if you use this hand seal," she folded her hands together, her right pointer fingers straight up, "Remember, left thumb is always on top with your signs."

"Right," you tentatively weaved your fingers together into the correct sign, pulled your hands apart and retrying it a few times until you were comfortable with the placement of your fingers. You absentmindedly questioned your mother, "I thought you said I was too young for chakra practice, except meditation and basic flow control, because my network is still developing?"

"That's correct," Yoko answered as she inspected your hands, "However, since you've already awakened your Byakugan, then your body is subconsciously trying to tell us that you are ready to start exercising your chakra circuits. No matter how young you are. I imagine in a few weeks you'll be ready to begin adding chakra to your Gentle Fist. Once you have those basics down, we will start _ninjutsu_ training."

"Oh," you said simply before taking a deep inhale and a slow exhale to clear your mind. One more deep inhale, melding your hands into the activation seal and siphoning your chakra into your eyes. You felt the muscles around your eyes tightening but nothing in your vision changed until you sent a small spike of chakra into your brain. Like flipping a switch, the surrounding colors faded into a translucent grayscale and details became extremely visible. For a moment you looked around you, awe covering your features at the level of detail in your vision. Then your vision blurred and dizziness struck you hard. It was like you were looking through multiple undeveloped camera films layered together. You couldn't focus on a set depth, and a sharp pain lanced behind your eyes as your vision swayed. You quickly drew the chakra away from your brain and eyes, deactivating your Byakugan as you released your seal.

Yoko knelt in front of you with a concerned look on her face. Just as she reached out to lay a steady hand on your shoulder, you stumbled back from her and slapped a hand over your mouth. Launching yourself over the root of the tree, you only made it halfway before your stomach lurched again and you vomited, only bile falling from your lips due to your stomach being empty. Your entire body shook with the force of the action. You laid on the large root, feeling your mother rub your back and whisper soothingly to you as you continued to forcefully dry-heave, little tears gathering in your eyes.

"There, there," Yoko patted your back when your stomach began to calm and you laid limply on the thick root, "That's a normal reaction until you get used to it."

"How come I didn't react like this in the training yard?" you moaned quietly as you tried to resist the bile creeping up your throat again. You were absolutely exhausted from just that minor bit of chakra use.

Yoko chuckled quietly, "The adrenaline from training, probably. I think this is enough for now. You know how to activate it, so we will continue acclimating you to your Byakugan tomorrow."

You just sighed in relief as your mother peeled you off the root and cradled you in her arms. The two of your sat quietly for a few minutes until Yoko laid you against her shoulder, digging into the rucksack for the little bag of food. Pulling out a strip of dried meat and a roll of bread, she handed them to you. You grabbed them sluggishly and nibbled, not realizing how hungry you were until the food hit your empty stomach. Thankfully, you were able to keep the dinner down with only a small turn of your stomach before your mother settled you down on her lap and wrapped a blanket that she had pulled from the rucksack around the two of you for the night. Laying your head against her sternum, you were lulled into a restful sleep by the vibrations of your mother softly singing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have a Beta reader, so this has only been edited by me. I'm not the greatest at stuff like that, so feel free to point out any errors. As always, comments are nice, so don't hesitate to communicate!


	6. [3]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yoko and the Reader are on the run. As Yoko's sanity wears thin from the pressure, the Hyuga catch up.

You and your mother, Hyūga Yoko, had spent the last sixteen days traveling in a north-northeast course through the trees. The two of you managed to cover a lot of ground and were only a few days away from the base mountains in the Land of Iron, which your mother had stated to be your destination. Around midday of the second day, the two of you had finished off the bread and dried meat Yoko had brought and your mother began to hunt and scavenge to sustain the two of you, combining it with your training to maximize the time. Despite her rather timid nature, your mother had turned out to be quite a talented Kunoichi. You had told her that on the fifth day of your training after you had managed to nail a rabbit for dinner. She had laughed you off, telling you she was rusty, although she did thank you for your compliment with a soft smile, clearly happy with your admiration.

Tonight, you were rather proud of yourself for having caught dinner again. You had used your Byakugan to locate two squirrels out of your direct line of sight and launched your  _kunai_  at different speeds. The blades ricocheted off each other midair and nailed each squirrel in the eye, killing them instantaneously. Using your  _dojutsu_ now only caused minor dizziness if you glanced around too quickly or tried to focus on multiple moving targets at once. So, the mild headache as you watched your mother explain to you again how to properly skin a squirrel was understandable. You carefully mimicked her actions on the other squirrel as the two of you prepared dinner together: a squirrel and vegetable stew over the campfire.

As the two of you ate quietly, you took stock of your mother for the hundredth time since you had left the Hyūga compound. Yoko's health seemed to be slowly deteriorating, the bags under her eyes darkening, sinking deeper and her eyes glazing over in what seemed to be a minor insane fervor. You knew this trip was much harder on her than it was on you. Her nerves were frayed to the point where eating made her nauseous more often than not, her body rejecting any more than a few bites at a time. It made her physically weak and quick to tire. She was also getting even less sleep than she had before you had awakened your Byakugan. You hoped to reach the Land of Iron sooner rather than later, for her sake.

As terrible as her physical and mental state was, you knew that the only reason the two of you were still able to travel is because of her paranoia. More than once you had woken to the heavy breathing of your mother as she launched herself through the trees, concealing your chakra auras from the Hyūga ANBU a mere few kilometer's behind. You felt a little guilty about being thankful your mother was a sensory-type because you were disappointingly inept in the sensory category. You were smart enough to realize that the two of you were being hunted, a dangerous game of cat and mouse that would only end if you were caught or reached the border of another clan first. Assuming the clans in the Land of Iron didn't kill you on sight for trespassing.

That night, after the remains of dinner were disposed of, you diligently sat awake after your mother had passed out of exhaustion again next to you. You sat in the darkness of the forest, staring up at the night sky, noticing that the trees were thinning out as you approached the Land of Iron. You were tired, fighting the fatigue in the small body of an almost five-year-old. You drowsily recalled that your birthday was the day after tomorrow. Struggling to keep your eyes open, you relied on the light of the full moon to keep you from succumbing to sleep. You didn't realize your eyes had drooped closed when dark clouds blotted out the moon.

You jolted awake at the sound of your mother's shrill scream, "Keep your filthy hands off of him!"

Your disoriented mind barely registered the fact that it was mid-morning. Instead, it snapped into focus on the two men in animal masks pinning your mother to the ground, one of them attempting to place a seal on her forehead.

Your mother screamed again, "(Y/N)! Run!" Her voice was desperate, her blue eyes glinting in something almost insane as she struggled against the men.

You snarled at the men, absolute fury overcoming you at the sight of your dear mother being manhandled. You rolled onto your stomach and launched your tiny body at the two men, pulling a _kunai_ from a pouch with the same intent you hunted squirrels last night with. The large hand of a third man gripped the fabric of your shirt over your chest, slamming you onto your back again. Your spine met the ground with dizzying force and you were pretty sure you heard a few unnatural cracks. The back of your skull met the dirt, causing your ears to ring and give your vision a nauseating sway. The  _kunai_ was swatted from your feeble grip as you coughed weakly in reflex to draw air back into your lungs, pain splintering through your back and ribs.

With your vision swimming, you didn't see the large man with short brown hair in a ponytail kneel over you. You felt him crush your small hands under his knees, pinning you to the ground underneath his weight as he gripped your jaw. You faintly heard your mother screaming over the ringing in your ears, your vision steadily clearing just enough to see the lavender-eyed man reach the fingers of his free hand toward your eye, digging into your eye socket. Searing pain unlike anything you had felt, aside from being transmuted five years ago, could possibly compare to the pain that you experienced as the man pulled out your eye. You thrashed under him, his grip remaining firm on you as the man crushed your (e/c) eye in his fist. Blood and ocular fluid splattered his grinning animal mask, dripping onto your face as your mother's bloodcurdling screams ripped through the air again. Or perhaps it was your own scream you heard.

Out of the corner of your remaining eye, you saw Yoko wrench herself from under the two other men with a feral look in her eyes, her lips drawn tight over her teeth in a savage snarl. The man above you noticed as well, quickly reaching for your other eye as the two other men attempted to tackle your mother again. You saw one of the masked men raise a  _tanto_  behind her before fingers were dug into your remaining eye. Pain ripped through your skull again, intensifying the shrill screams. Your vision completely blackened as you laid on the ground, eyeless.

The weight of the man disappeared from over you, and for several excruciating seconds, you could only hear yelling. You weren't even sure whether it was Yoko's, your own, or the ANBUs' anymore. As you laid blind and paralyzed in shock, you couldn't focus on anything except the blood dripping down your temples from the empty sockets in your face, the feel of the drops cruelly warm in the bright mid-morning sun.

And suddenly, you were scooped up into gentle arms, the soft scent of waterlilies nearly unrecognizable under the pungent smell of fear, rage, and blood. That small tendril of waterlily in the air calmed your thrashing as you recognized the scent of Yoko. You laid limply in your mother's arms, a strangled whine at the pain in your head escaping you in your delirious state. Yoko's body shook with her cries as she squeezed you almost to the point of cutting off your air. As you faded in and out of consciousness in your mother's arms, you couldn't bring yourself to care about the pain of your cracked ribs flaring each time a sob wracked through her body.

Just before the darkness swallowed you for good, you caught whiffs of other people in the area surrounding your mother, the scent of iron and rock burning your throat.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit shorter than I intended but ehhhh. It was best to end it there.
> 
> As always, comments, reactions, and constructive criticism is appreciated!


	7. [4]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Reader begins to show signs of mental wear. Yoko gives him a gift for his 5th birthday and he's not happy about it, causing their relationship to strain. Furthermore, there are complications involved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bring onnnn the angst.

Your sleep was far from restful. Over and over, you relived your eyes being plucked from your skull. You were plagued by images of the attack; grinning animal masks and lavender eyes filled with cold indifference terrorized your nightmares. You vividly dreamed of sprinting toward your mother as the  _tanto_  came down on her without hesitation. You didn't make it to her in time, the sight and smell of her blood as it splattered across the trees was nauseatingly pungent.

You awakened with a dull throbbing in your face; the source being your eyes. Phantom pains. You had spoken to older veterans of the Ishvallen war about them. They told you about common occurrences of this pain after losing body parts, usually limbs. You were told how painful it could be but could never quite grasp just how mentally and physically excruciating it was to feel something that wasn't there.

The smell of medicinal herbs surrounded you, wafting strongly from the bandages wrapped around the upper half of your head. The bandages were itchy against your face. Your hand twitched, slowly reaching out from underneath the blanket it was trapped under. Your fingers were like ice against your cheekbone as you gently rubbed the bandages. The quiet sound of a  _fusuma_ sliding open and closed greeted your ears. You heard a feminine gasp and a soft, "He's awake! I'll get the healer," before quick footsteps went further down a hall.

A second set of hesitant footsteps approached your side. The welcome smell of waterlilies wafted through the air as Yoko kneeled next to you.

"(Y/N)? You're awake?" Gentle fingers carded through your hair, avoiding the bandages wrapped around your head.

You hummed, reaching for your mother's hand and lacing your fingers in hers, "I'm glad you're alright,  _kaa-san."_

"I'm glad  _you_ are alright. You've been out for a few days now. You slept through your birthday. Happy Birthday, sweetheart. I wish I could've done more than this."

Your brows furrowed, "More than what?"

Your mother breathed deeply, preparing to say something before she was interrupted by the  _fusuma_ sliding open again. The same voice from before said, "I've brought the healer."

Yoko hummed as the others approached. Two sets of footsteps circled around your prone form; your fingers tightened around your mother's and she stroked the back of your hand with her thumb, soothing your nerves. The heavier set of footsteps stopped by your side as they knelt across from your mother. The person's smell was of herbs and minerals; with a faint masculine undertone. A male Beta if you had to guess. The lighter feet belonged to a female, smelling of vanilla, who stopped by your feet after rummaging around in the corner of the room. She was definitely an Omega.

"(Y/N)? Can you hear me?" The healer spoke, his voice gentle in the quiet room.

"I hear you," you responded just as quiet.

"Good. My name is Akihiro. How do you feel? Any pain?"

"My body feels stiff. I'm a little woozy and my face hurts."

"The stiffness can be attributed to how long you have been out. My assistants have moved you around as you slept to prevent bedsores, but the lack of muscle use can cause stiffness. As far as being lightheaded, it's low blood sugar from being unconscious for three days. We were debating putting you through another chakra transfer this morning if you didn't wake in the next few hours. Can you tell me what the pain in your face is like?"

You reached a hand up to rub the bandages on your face again, "My eye sockets ache. When I first woke up, it was more intense than right now."

"Eye sockets? So you remember what happened? All of it?"

Your breath hitched in your throat as the images flashed through mind's eye again, words dying in your throat. You gave a choppy nod as you squeezed your mother's hand again to reassure yourself of her solid presence by your side.

The healer gave a light sigh before continuing, "I'm sorry we didn't arrive in time to spare you from that. But for now, we have more pressing matters. I'm going to have to check under the bandages for possible infections that could cause pain. Naruka, would you please assist him in sitting up? I don't want him to pull any muscles while he is stiff."

"Of course," the other Omega set something next to Akihiro that clanked on the ground, some liquid quietly sloshing in it as she moved around and knelt behind you. She softly asked permission to touch your shoulders. When you nodded your assent, she gently gripped your shoulders and guided you into a sitting position, supporting your injured back and ribs. You shivered from the chilly air in the room, noticing that you weren't wearing a shirt over your bandaged torso. Why was it this cold in the middle of summer? Did you and your mother actually make it to the mountains safely? You hoped so; then the two of you would be out of the clutches of the Hyūga. You weren't sure you could ever forgive them for hunting the two of you like animals.

Once you were balanced, Akihiro began to unwrap the bandages around your head. His fingers were gentle, but not fumbling in the slightest. The bandages fell slowly from in front of your eyelids, and they began to feel itchy again. A soft splash of water and the wringing of a cloth before a soft, wet wash rag met your eyes. Akihiro gently cleaned the dried herbal paste from your eyelids, relieving the itch. As the old, flaky paste cleared, the light of mid-morning pierced through your eyelids and dyed your vision in a pale red.

You froze. _Light? Why is there light?_ Your eyes fluttered on reflex and you flinched at the brightness in the room. Confusion swirled through your body and you squeezed your eyelids shut. Why could you see? It was already confirmed that your eyes were forcibly removed. You opened your eyelids into slits before they widened in surprise. Light, color, shapes,  _sight._ You could see. Your eyes flicked toward the healer, Akihiro, taking in his appearance. Average height, lightly tanned skin, black hair just beginning to grey, and dusky green eyes. He was around forty-five to fifty years old. Your jaw dropped, your head whipping to your mother.

"Can you see alright? I'd like to check for infection after they adjust," Akihiro continued talking about vision tests, but his voice faded out as you looked at your mother. She sat quietly as she felt you examine her form with your new eyes. She was still pale and thin, but freshly bathed and it seemed as if she'd eaten decently the past few days. Your mother was marginally healthier than the last time you saw her in the forest. Only one thing struck you about her appearance: the tan bandanna she used to keep the hair out of her face was much too low.

It was fastened tightly around her eyes.

Your breathing became haggard as your mind began to piece the recent events together. She had done something for your birthday. You could  _see,_ even though your eyes had been ripped out and  _crushed_  in front of you. Her eyes were covered,  _as if she was blind._

A small mirror was held in front of you and you unwillingly peeked at your reflection from the corner of your eyes.  _Pale blue. Kaa-san's lovely pale blue. Kaa-san's eyes are my eyes._  You felt the bile burn the back of your throat. Was this even possible? An  _eye-transplant?_

You screamed.

\---

In the following weeks, you tried to convince your mother to take her eyes back. You tentatively brought up the topic of her gifting you with eyes several times. It wasn't like you weren't grateful to her, in fact you were humbled by her willingness to sacrifice not only her sight, but her _dojutsu_ and her future as a Kunoichi, without hesitation for you. But you couldn't even look at your own reflection in a water basin without throwing up. Unfortunately, each time the subject was broached your mother would pat your hair or kiss your forehead before changing the subject. She wouldn't even consider taking them back. The guilt ate at you, intensifying your nightmares. If only you had checked the surroundings for the third ANBU. If only had been stronger.

\---

Your new eyes had also garnered a lot of bafflement and concern from Akihiro. Every few days pain would lance through them, increasing in frequency and intensity. At first, the healer seemed to think it was an infection of some kind. He inspected the your eyes several times, coming up empty-handed. There was no redness, swelling, discharge, or loss of vision. They just  _hurt_. He debated with himself to ask Yoko for permission to remove them for your safety, but considering her sacrifice and what the two of you had been through so far... He didn't want to permanently blind you after being the surgeon that removed her eyes for your transplant.

For the sake of your health, he briefly entertained the idea of sending a messenger to one of the larger _dojutsu_ -wielding clans to ask for more information, but immediately threw out the idea with a shake of his head. You and Yoko were refugees from the Hyūga. Not only could his clan sheltering the both of you garner unwanted attention from neighboring clans, but it could have serious political repercussions on their neutrality agreement with the Hyūga. Besides that, Akihiro's elder brother was currently the Clan Alpha and had declared you and Yoko's arrival be kept a secret for now. As much as the healer wanted to hope his brother was protecting the both of you out of the goodness of his heart, Akihiro had never known him to help outsiders without expecting something in return.

So in light of the situation, he stayed quiet. He continued to try different herbs and remedies he knew in an attempt to heal whatever was wrong with your eyes. If he was honest with himself, he had no idea what he was doing. Akihiro had been a healer for many years, and had only transplanted a single eye before. There had been no complications then, so he was puzzled as to what was different this time. Did it have something to do with the fact that Yoko's eyes contained a _dojutsu?_ And if so, was he witnessing the _dojutsu_ rejecting the your body or vice versa? Akihiro wasn't sure, so he found himself poring over any texts about _dojutsus_ and eye transplants he could find. Information was scarce on the subjects. Clans seemed to hold that information close to their chests like information on any other _kekkei genkai_.

The aging healer was studying a scroll that his assistant, Naruka, had found on a cart of a travelling merchant that passed through this morning when his assistant whipped the curtain aside. Her cries were frantic, "Akihiro- _san_! It's (Y/N)!"

Akihiro jumped up at the mention of your name,  _what more could possibly be going wrong?_ He quickly grabbed a travel bag of supplies he had packed for house visits as he attempted to calm the panicking Omega, having her lead him to where you were. Naruka led him to the middle of the market, a crowd already formed around you and your blind mother.

"Naruka, get rid of the crowd," Akihiro ordered. He cursed under his breath as your screams reverberated around the square. Coiling chakra into the pads of his feet, he launched himself over the crowd, hoping he didn't land on anybody. Landing soundlessly in front of Yoko, she loosed a fierce growl at him as she gripped your quivering and screaming form close to her chest. You squatted on the ground in front of your mother, tears of pain streaming down your face as the veins around your eyes pulsed.

"Calm down Yoko- _san_ , it's just me. Akihiro. I'm here to help," The aging healer spoke calmly as he held his hands up in attempt to calm the nearly feral Omega, even though she couldn't see his gestures. Your mother bared her teeth at the man as she knelt over you. Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself, manipulating his pulse and his pheromones into something calmer to hide his worry. That seemed to work, clearing her head of the crowd's scents enough for him to reason with her.

"Akihiro- _san_ ," Yoko's voice was high and tight with fear and helplessness, "help him.  _Please."_

"Of course. That's what I'm here for. First, we need to calm him and get him away from prying eyes," Akihiro glanced heatedly at the crowd Naruka was unsuccessful in dispersing, but didn't let his ire bleed into his voice or scent.

Yoko nodded, relaxing her grip on your form as you whimpered, curling into yourself and gripping your head. You stiffened, freezing Akihiro as he reached out, intending to sedate you. Your chakra constricted and flared violently, blasting Yoko and Akihiro away from your prone form. The people in the surrounding crowd scattered, dodging debris to take cover behind buildings and solid objects. Someone shrieked. You moaned in pain, pressing your forehead into the dirt of the main road as you kneeled on the ground. The chakra pool in your chest quivered, reverberating inside your ribs painfully as your chakra network burned like an incinerator. You could compare it to when your eyes had been forcibly removed or even being transmuted. The sharp pain lanced through your head with the rhythm of your escalated pulse.

Your head pounded violently one last time before your chakra swelled, unleashing a powerful torrent that molded around your body in a nearly solid, fiery blue cloak. Your chakra felt almost foreign as it thrummed in your veins heavily, and yet at the same time it felt lighter than the mountain air your took into your lungs with every strained gasp. Your eyes flashed, an intricate glowing floral pattern blooming from your pupils and across your pale blue irises. You suddenly found yourself knelt in the middle of the market square, free of your pain. You glanced down at the vivid chakra covering your trembling hands. Someone gasped and your attention turned to the people as they peeked out from behind rubble, unconcealed awe and fear on their faces. Your eyes locked onto your mother's slumped form across the square.

 _Is she hurt?_ Your heart plummeted at the sight of her surrounded by all the destruction,  _what happened?_ You stumbled your way closer to her on shaky legs. Falling onto your knees in front of her, your eyes flicked over her form, noting a few areas that may bruise. Overall, she seemed fine. She was even conscious. She faced you with a blank look on her face, probably sensing this new chakra of yours.

 _"Kaa-san?"_ you whispered, _"Kaa-san,_ are you alright?"

A small, strained smile crossed her lips as she answered, "I'm alright,  _musuko_. Are _you_ alright?" The chakra cloak began to dissipate from around you after as it exhausted your chakra supply and the pattern of your eyes receded. You hummed tiredly in response.

The crowd was forming around the two of you again as Akihiro stepped up, "I think it would be best if we head back to my place." Your mother nodded as she rose from the ground and picked your small form up from the ground. Akihiro guided your mother around the rubble, leading her away from prying eyes. You fought against unconsciousness and your head drooped onto your mother's shoulder, overhearing the whispers as your little group made its way through the shell-shocked crowd.

"Has he returned?"

"Is he the Great Sage?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter feels a little rushed to me. I had intended on it being longer, but it's already 2500 words, so I decided to split the chapter into parts ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Comments, reactions, and constructive criticism are welcome as always!


	8. [5]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Training and trouble in paradise.

Over the next few days, your eyes didn't hurt in the slightest. You were thankful for that, but the chakra exhaustion had left you unconscious for another thirteen hours. You were getting really sick of being unconscious when things happened. You weren't exactly sure what had happened while you were out, but you noticed a few changes. Namely, your interactions with the villagers. People stared on the street, the children skirted away with tucked chins and conspiratorial whispers. All the healers avoided you, except Akihiro himself. The one time Akihiro was out delivering a pup, Naruka had to conduct your daily eye exam and she could hardly hold eye contact and trembled when you glanced at her. The older Shinobi regarded you with wary eyes and the elders addressed you with respect, assuming they didn't avoid you altogether.

You were lonely. You felt isolated from the villagers. At first you considered that their treatment might have just been because you were an outsider, but they hadn't treated you like that before. It definitely had something to do with what happened in the square.

You still felt terrible about that. Guilty. You could have killed someone. You almost killed your blind mother. There were no words for how relieved you were that she didn't regard you with fear or shy away from you. You were already lonely enough with the village avoiding you; you honestly weren't sure how you would react if your dear mother avoided you as well.

Over the next few weeks, you found yourself spending more and more time by yourself. You got quieter, only speaking to your mother and answering Akihiro's medical-related questions. Your own guilt consumed you, and you began to distance yourself from reality. First it was your mother's eyes and then you nearly killed a bunch of innocents in the middle of a market square.

When you weren't holed up in your room loathing yourself, you occupied your time with training. Sometimes your mother trained you, furthering your training with chakra control and unlocking your _tenketsu_ points. But more often than not, you preferred to train alone. You had taken to disappearing into the forest on the sides of the mountain to train. You spent your time brushing up on some of your soldiering skills: hunting, tracking, and mapping out the woods.

It was when you were brushing up on your basic alchemy you realized something had happened to you when you were transmuted. When you were a State Alchemist, you specialized in water alchemy and were passable at best with earth and metal alchemy. Now, you excelled at it. You remember Ed and Al telling you about what happened to them and realized the same thing had happened to you. You could use it without transmutation circles and had gotten a power boost. When you were transmuted, the entirety of the world's knowledge had passed through your mind and you could faintly you could recall traces of how to use alchemy that you had never even learned. Namely flame alchemy. You weren't very good at it yet, but you practiced it alongside earth and metal alchemy.

You were glad about that particular discovery. Alchemy was familiar. It was safe. But what really had you floundering, was your attempt to use the Byakugan. You hadn't attempted to use it since the transplant; the guilt weighing heavily on your conscious, despite your mother's urges for you to train the _dojutsu_. You blamed the lack of use on the fear that the pain would come back and your mother relented on the subject.

You were around six and a half and had been hiding with the Miyamoto clan for over a year when you first attempted to use it again. Alone in the woods, you had decided it was time to get over yourself. You activated your _dojutsu_ for the first time since fleeing from the Hyuga. Weaving your hands into the correct sign, you blinked.

Nothing happened at first. No pain, just the Byakugan. You noted how much stronger your mother's eyes were than your own had been. You weren't sure if it was just because she had trained her Byakugan more, or if whoever's blood, you carried had diluted your own Byakugan. You shook your head. It didn't matter.

You began to take stock of notable differences. Your field of vision was much larger, and it seemed to take less chakra to maintain the _dojutsu's_ active state. You chalked that up to the training you did with your mother finally paying off though you weren't entirely sure. As you were investigating your chakra network, you noticed something strange about your new eyes. It was difficult to describe, but it seemed as if there was another layer in their core.

You sat on the ground in the quiet woods, Byakugan still active, and debated. Should you investigate now, or leave it to another day? Should you have supervision for this? Your head tipped side to side as you worked your way to a conclusion. Huffing a quiet sigh you decided to just do it now and hope you didn't die.

You quieted the thoughts of your mother being alone in this cruel world if you happened to accidentally kill yourself out here and focused your chakra. Piercing is through the second "layer" in your Byakugan, your chakra exploded, stealing your breath. You mentally grappled with the torrent of chakra spilling from your network, sweat beading on your brow. After several seconds of feeling like the chakra was dragging you around your own mindscape and thrashing around your seated form, you managed to grip it solidly. With a heave of your mind, you settled the torrent into a trickle and opened your eyes. You looked at yourself in awe as you recreated the blue chakra cloak from the square.

You grinned before promptly passing out as the cloak extinguished itself.

\---

For two years you trained the new aspect of your _dojutsu_ , isolated in the woods. You ate in the morning, grabbed the packed lunch your mother made, and only came back to the compound to bathe, eat dinner, and sleep before you did it again. You knew your mother worried about your lack of social interaction, but she really couldn't argue with the spark in your mood. She decided to let you train by yourself since you had already unlocked your _tenketsu_ points and didn't seem very enthused about learning the Gentle Fist or other Hyuga techniques. You still just couldn't get over the fact that they were _Hyuga_ techniques, and you'd be damned if you were going to accept _anything_ from that clan.

Along with the chakra cloak, you made several other discoveries about your new _dojutsu_. The first was your ability to attract and repel solid objects. You discovered that particular aspect during a less than graceful tumble down a hillside in the woods when you almost collided head-first into a boulder. You hadn't been able to bring your arms up in time, or twist out of the way, and it would have killed you. Just as your forehead was a mere three centimeters from grazing its surface, your fear took hold and you had wished for nothing more than for the boulder to just  _get out of the way._ In your shock and amazement, the boulder trembled and flung itself out of the way, colliding into a tree with a resounding  _crack_. You managed to bring your arms up to protect your head for the rest of your tumble.

The next thing you discovered had been the effects on the forest your _dojutsu_ had. Just after your tumble down the hill, you had glanced back toward the rock that you had slung into the poor tree. The damage had been formidable. Splintered and cracked all the way up the trunk, part of the tree had fallen and crushed a few saplings. You made your way back up the slope to take a closer look at the damage. You grimaced and gently prodded the fractured part of the tree with your fingers in remorse. The blue chakra cloak swayed, a small tendril of it slipping into the recesses with less sound than a whisper as the intricate pattern of your irises shifted slightly. A bud sprouted from beneath your fingers. You jerked back from it and its growth halted. For several seconds you stared at the little green thing before reaching back out, your the little sapling hungrily pulling your chakra from you. The little bud grew, intertwining itself around the splintered section of the tree and growing tall. You watched it in amazement as the tree repaired itself until your vision blurred. You hadn't been paying attention to how much chakra you were giving to the tree and promptly passed out. Again.

A few days later, you discovered that even if you had smashed into the rock as you tumbled down the hill, you would have just smashed it into pieces and continued your fall. In addition to the chakra cloak, you had increased speed, strength, durability, and reflexes. You practiced your _taijutsu_ in earnest on the terrain of the forest, but always went back and repaired the damages you created. You just felt bad about it because leaving the forest in disarray reminded you of not only the market square, but Ishval as well. During the months of your training, your chakra pool had deepened, granting you better stamina over time. You also experimented with controlling the flow of your chakra through individual _tenketsu_ points, building and releasing the chakra when you weren't training your _dojutsu_. You were almost six when you decided to let your mother help you train your Byakugan again.

She didn't go out to the forest, but the two of you had a modest house on the edge of the compound with a yard. She had you meditate with your Byakugan, looking through certain depths and tell her the people you saw throughout the compound and what they were doing. She had you count apples in the stalls and read books that sat on shelves on the other side of the compound. You favorite things to read to her were old stories written on scrolls in one of the elder's homes. After you were able to do that, the two of you would spar. Once again you were astounded by her sensory abilities. Even being blind, she was able to throw you to the ground. You wouldn't lie and say that you were not salty about that. You were.

It was during one of these sparring sessions just after your ninth birthday when you finally were able to knock her off her feet and pin her, locking her wrists behind her back. You cheered, throwing your hands in the air as you jumped off her back. She chuckled, sending a warm smile your way as she sat in a  _seiza_  on the ground and adjusted the bandanna around her eyes. Today it was a pale blue. You gave it to her on her birthday three months after you arrived in the mountains. You had only told her that it was blue, not that you got it for her because it was the same pale blue as her _-your-_  eyes.

" _Musuko,_  sweetheart. Come here. I'd like to speak to you for a moment," she called out, interrupting your victory dance.

" _Hai, Kaa-san!_ " You trotted back, sitting down and crossing your legs in front of her as you attempted to collect your breath, "What do you need?"

The smile faded from her face, "It's about your father."

You hesitated, making a small noise for her to continue.

"I've sent for him to come here and collect you."

Your breath hitched, "What?"

"There's nothing more I can teach you here, except the Gentle Fist. You don't want to learn that and as nice as the Miyamoto clan is, you are suffering here in these mountains. You're lonely and I'm afraid your spark will be extinguished if you rot here any longer. I can't bear to watch that."

"Y-you're sending me away?" The crushing feeling of abandonment squeezed your heart. First the village, and now you own mother?

"Don't say it like that, _musuko._ There is nothing left for you here."

"There's you! I still have _you."_

"Sweetheart, I intended for you to meet your father eventually. Just not this soon, not like this." Her voice quieted into a whisper at the end. You were hurt and enraged. Did she not want you? Were you too much of a hassle now? You thought that she was alright with your new strength, but now she was alienating you too?

You clenched your small fists, "When?"

She was silent for a moment, knowing you wouldn't like her answer, "He will be here in the next day or so."

The breath caught in your throat and you choked on your own saliva as you drew uneven breaths. Your anger was fiery, white-hot and scorching your insides like acid. _No, no, no!_ You couldn't get the words past the knot in your throat. The pleas and begging for her to allow you to stay coiled behind your gritted teeth, but you were unable to let them be heard. You spun on your heel, darting into the woods beyond the little yard as warm tears spilled down your face. The blood pounded in your ears from your anger and feelings of betrayal, shielding you from the cries of your abandoned mother in the yard behind you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a bitch to write. Hope you all don't mind training chapters.  
> Comments, reactions, and constructive criticism are always welcome^^


	9. [6]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Reader is happy to repair his relationship with Yoko, only to find out his father has already arrived to pick him up. And he brought a rude guest with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loooooong chapter. Over 3,500 words.

You spent the last two days out in the woods. After your first night in the forest by yourself, sitting in front of your campfire, you were painfully aware of your mother's absence. The day after, you couldn't bring yourself to return to your mother in the Miyamoto compound. Your anger had died down after a few hours and now you were just terribly embarrassed. Yes, you were in the body of a nine-year-old, but you were still a proud Briggs soldier, dammit! You couldn't stand the overly emotional responses this little body came with. You also didn't want to return because you knew your father was probably already in the little village waiting for you as soon as you returned. You had squandered your last days with your mother over your own selfishness. After you calmed down, you realized that she hadn't said your departure would be permanent or that you couldn't visit. She probably worried herself sick over your absence.

You finally rallied your courage enough to make your way back to the compound almost fifty hours after you ran off. Better you faced the problem you created by yourself, than wait for your mother to send someone after you. Approaching the tree line behind your little house, you peered through the thinning trees and into the yard. Your mother was sitting  _seiza_ on the little wooden  _engawa_ with a clay cup of tea in her hands, the evening sun bathing her in an orange tint.

She knew you were coming. You knew she was a better sensor than you and would have felt your approach when you were a few kilometers away. She still didn't look up until you took a hesitant step into the clearing. Her expression was painfully blank as she set her tea aside and folded her hands neatly on her lap.

You timidly shuffled to stand in front of her and swallowed, your tiny fists clenching and slackening by your sides. You had gone over your apology to the point where you could recite it verbatimin your head. But as you looked up at her stern face, you choked on your words. For several seconds, the two of you stood facing each other in silence. Despite the tension crackling in the air, you were relieved that she didn't yell or immediately send you away. Tears gathered in your eyes from the overwhelming emotions of seeing her for the first time in two days; you didn't think it would be so hard to be away from her.

_Would she forgive you? Was she angry?_

You squeezed your eyes shut and inhaled deeply,  _"Haha-ue?"_ You started, your voice shaky,  _"Okaa-san,_ I... I'm sorry," Your breath hitched as you choked again. You looked at the ground through your watery eyes, biting your lip to prevent a sob from escaping.

You felt a gentle hand on your head and as you looked back up at your mother; she pressed her lips to your forehead in a familiar kiss. As she leaned back, the indifference had slipped away and a slight smile upturned the corners of her lips.

"That's good enough,  _musuko._ I understand your anger."

You blinked at her in surprise. You still had your entire apology to say! That was it? The relief you felt as your mother smiled at you again couldn't be described. The tears in your eyes finally spilled in happiness. Your mother extended her arms toward you and you launched yourself into her arms. She pulled you into her lap, and you wrapped your arms around her neck, squeezing her in a hug as you smiled in relief. You felt her chuckling against you and you couldn't help but giggle with her.

A scoff interrupted the little moment with your mother. The scent of storm clouds with an undertone of pine needles brushed against your nose, silencing you. You quickly hunkered down into your mothers lap, furiously rubbing your happy tears away. Your mother smiled gently down at you as you peeked over her shoulder, eyes landing on a little figure in the doorway.

"He seems like a wussy, _Tou-chan_ _._ " The shaggy, light grey-haired boy deadpanned over his shoulder, his unimpressed little black eyes holding yours steadily.

 _How rude,_ you thought as you snarked the uninvited child to your mother, "He seems like a brat, _Kaa-san._ "

The child in the doorway blinked at you in surprise before blatantly glaring at you. You squinted back at him from over your mother's shoulder. His lower face was clad in a thin black mask that stretched under his _kimono,_ clearly a part of his undergarments. Why the  _hell_ was he wearing that? Other than the mask, he was dressed in a baggy forest green  _yukata_ with a simple, leafy dark green pattern and his feet were bare.His sandals were probably inside, left in the  _genkan_ when he arrived.

Your mother flicked your forehead, "(Y/N)," she said your name in warning, her voice low.

"Kakashi!" A masculine voice berated gently from beyond the _fusuma_ , "Don't be rude." The boy, Kakashi, turned back to the unidentified man as he stepped into the doorway. The man was tall, sporting shaggy light grey hair as well, though his was tied into a low ponytail tossed over his shoulder. It reached to about his mid-chest and you imagined it would be around mid-back if it was let down. The man had soft black eyes, his skin creased with laugh lines around his mouth and in the corners of his eyes, giving him a much friendlier look than the little boy who was his spitting image. He wore a navy blue  _yukata_ with medium blue stripes and tan colored  _tabi_ socks.

"I'm so sorry. Please excuse us," the man sheepishly shooed Kakashi back inside, gently closing the  _fusuma_ to a crack to allow privacy for you and your mother.

You glanced at her, "W-was that...?" your words trailed off.

She nodded once, "That man is your father. His name is Sakumo. He's a nice man, and I'd like for you to give him a chance to know what an amazing little boy you are."

You gripped the collar of her lavender  _yukata_ in your fists and your eyebrows furrowed over your pale blue eyes. You didn't know if you could do that. He  _would_  be taking you from your mother for an unknown amount of time, after all.

"And the rude kid?" You subtly altered the course of the conversation.

She chuckled, " _You_ are calling him a kid?" You winced at that. You still had the habit of talking like an adult. You should probably be more careful.

"That was Kakashi," she continued, "He is Sakumo's son as well. He is four, so he is your  _otouto,_ if you'll accept him." She nuzzled into your hair with a smile when you tensed at the information. She got you there. She remembered the time you had confided in her late at night when you were still a Hyuga. She recalled that you had confessed to wanting a big family some day. She knew you wanted more siblings. But you didn't mention it after you were separated from Daichi when the two of you escaped, so you figured she had forgotten.

Her words were cheeky with you and you bantered back, "I don't know  _Kaa-san,_ he's pretty rude. Might have to learn some stuff before I let him be my  _otouto."_

Your mother grinned down at you as she squeezed you in a hug again, "I guess you'll have to teach him then. After all, what's an  _onii-san_ for, if not to teach their little siblings?"

You blushed in happiness at the term.  _Onii-san_. Maybe, just maybe you would be able to give these males a chance. Your mother seemed to like them at least. You shook your head,  _of course she likes the man. The two of them obviously had some sort of relationship in the past,_ you thought as you considered your own birth.

You peered up at your mother again as she spoke, "Would you be comfortable meeting them for real over dinner? It's almost finished. Sakumo wanted to cook this evening."

You inhaled deeply before nodding, a hesitant sound of affirmation being choked out of your throat. Helping your mother cook was normally your job, aside from when Akihiro's family brought food over. Thankfully, your mother sensed your apprehension and reassured you, "I'll be right there with you. If you're ever uncomfortable, you can leave."

"It won't be rude if I leave?" You furrowed your brows.

"No, sweetheart. You can always leave, no matter the situation. Besides, I don't think Sakumo will be offended. He's an understanding man."

You released a breath. That was good news. You were glad your mother gave you permission to leave, should you become overwhelmed. You nodded to yourself. You could do this.

Your mother gently asked, "Would you like for me to carry you, or would you prefer to walk by yourself?" The grip you had on her lavender  _yukata_  tightened, but just as you were about to ask her to carry you, Kakashi's words rang in your head.  _He seems like a wussy..._ Wussy. Is that how you, a Briggs soldier, were coming off? You scowled at yourself as you made up your mind. Besides, you were nine. Was it normal to carry a nine-year-old around, or was she teasing you?

"I'll walk," you nearly growled out. Your mother snickered as you extracted yourself from her lap and stiffly walked toward the  _fusuma,_ your mother rising from her _seiza_ behind you. You halted abruptly as a thought occurred. Rushing back to your mother, you mumbled an apology as you helped her the rest of the way up. She ruffled your hair in thanks and turned to enter your little house. You quickly scooped up the teacup she had forgotten and followed her inside.

Closing the  _fusuma_ behind you, you quickly made your way your way through the little dining room and toward the kitchen to wash and return the teacup to its resting place. On your way, you passed the displeased four-year-old Kakashi as he glared at you for your earlier wit. Upon entering the kitchen, you skirted around Sakumo as he looked up at you from where he sat next to the little  _irori._ You blatantly avoided eye contact and settled yourself on your knees at the little water basin to wash the teacup. You felt his eyes on you as you busied yourself, the cold water sloshing. Your hands stilled as your lost yourself in your thoughts.  _Should I help him?_ You thought,  _it_ is  _my job he's doing._ Since you and your mother had been living with the Miyamoto clan, she had been coaching you through cooking meals for the two of you because you wouldn't allow her near the flames. She always insisted that she cook because she could feel, smell, and hear them, and that she didn't want her young son around the flames. You argued that you were going to be a _shinobi,_ and shouldn't avoid the flames or cooking, so the compromise had been for the two of you to cook together.

But now this man was here, in your house, and he was doing your job. What were you supposed to do while you waited? Find and talk to his bratty son in the other room? Or offer to help? Should you just ignore the both of them and sit with your mother in the dining room? Peeking back over your shoulder, you made eye contact with a surprised Sakumo. Staring awkwardly for a few seconds, the air suffocated you. Just as the man opened his mouth to say something, you quickly turned your attention back to the teacup. Shaking it of the dishwater, you quickly grabbed the towel next to the basin and rubbed it dry.

"(Y/N), right?" Sakumo found his voice and addressed you. Holding your breath, you kept your head down in a measly attempt to pretend you didn't hear him. Moving faster, you placed the teacup away and darted from the room. Hiding around the corner, you winced at your actions. Why had you run? Now it would be even more awkward at dinner. You rubbed your eyes as you recollected yourself. Crouching down, you peered around the corner at Sakumo's slumped back. You couldn't bring yourself to reenter the kitchen. Puffing out your cheeks you squared your shoulders to prepare yourself to face the little grey-haired boy instead.

You made your way back to the dining room and settled next to your mother, wishing you had refilled her teacup instead of putting it away. Her tea was a fleeting thought as Kakashi waltzed in from the next room with a sneer in your direction. Your mother sensed you tense next to her and set a placating hand on your head. Your mother distracted you from glaring at the other boy with conversation.

"So what have you been up to for the last two days?"

You glanced up at her. "Training." That wasn't entirely correct; it was true that you had worked off your anger and tried to distract yourself from the situation with your training, but you had also spent a good chunk of the time you were gone worrying. Worrying about your mother, worrying about returning, worrying about leaving again. Just  _worrying._

"Oh? What skills have you sharpened?" Your mother continued, and you ignored the way Kakashi perked up, his eyes flicking to your form at the mention of training.

"Mostly chakra control from various _tenketsu_ points." You noticed Kakashi lose interest with a little scoff. "But also the eyes." You had also touched on your alchemy to keep it in practice, but she still didn't know about that little ability of yours. You weren't inclined to tell her now.

Your mother hummed, continuing to run her fingers through your hair. The two of you had Kakashi's interest again. The four-year-old hopped up and made his way over to the  _chabudai,_ sitting across from you.

"Eyes? Do you have a  _dojutsu?"_ He stared at you hard and you pursed your lips.

"Yep!" You smirked at him, crossing your arms in a feeling of faux superiority.

He glared at you. "Which  _dojutsu?"_  he demanded with a growl, smacking a little hand on the tabletop, obviously trying to intimidate you.

You snorted, deciding to mess around with him. "Wouldn't you like to know?" You smirked passive aggressively at him across the table. Your mother gently yanked a lock of your hair in reprimand and you grumbled quietly. Kakashi looked like he was about to burst, his eyebrows furrowed as he glared at you. You could almost say you could see steam rising from his pale face because he was so red in his anger. You supposed he didn't get much backtalk from other people. You wondered if he held a status that kept him from socializing with other kids, or perhaps he stood at the apex of his peers. Or perhaps he just didn't have friends.

You shrugged. It didn't really matter at the moment and you watched in amusement as Sakumo leaned through the doorway and scolded Kakashi for slapping the table. It was petty, but you felt better about being scolded if he was too. It wasn't often you got genuinely scolded, already knowing what was generally acceptable and what was not. Technically being an adult in a child's body, you felt a little ridiculous arguing with a four-year-old on a serious level. Thankfully, Sakumo stepped into the room with fresh tea on a platter, giving you an excuse to ignore Kakashi. You never had much experience with small children as an alchemist, so the only relationship you could fall back on was the brotherly bond you used to have with Daichi, who admired you greatly. Kakashi had absolutely nothing in common with the little Hyuga boy, so you were a little lost on how to handle him. But, you figured being on good terms would be better than having him hate you, so you would try to create a similar bond with Kakashi. You definitely wouldn't have chosen to deal with Kakashi had the two of you not been related, but you were stuck with him. You low-key hoped you hadn't already damaged what chance you had with the boy by sassing him, but you weren't about to let him walk all over you in favor of being on good terms. As a soldier under General Armstrong, you weren't about to disgrace her by being a moral, or physical, pushover, even if no one here knew about the tough-as-nails general.

Your mother volunteered the information about you possessing the Byakugan after Sakumo brought in the food and sat down at the table. Thankfully, she omitted the incident with the Hyuga, and Kakashi accepted that you only had it because of your mixed blood. A glance toward Sakumo let you see the hurt and guilt in his eyes before he looked away from you. He definitely knew. He could probably recognize your mother's eyes the first time you made eye-contact on the  _engawa._  You ignored the conversation in favor of dishing yourself some food. Sakumo had made _tanuki udon,_ topped with slices of battered _tempura._ Simple, but delicious.

As you ate, you listened to the quiet small talk between your mother and Sakumo. Eventually, the conversation quieted, and the adults looked toward you and Kakashi. He was still glaring heavily at you as you slurped your noodles passively. You were incredibly tempted to antagonize him again, but decided to not if only for the sake of your mother's hope for the two of you to get along. Besides, a small part of you really did want a sibling, even if he was a brat. So you settled for passive aggressively slurping at him as you held eye contact.

" _Tou-chan!_ " Kakashi turned to a surprised Sakumo as he continued to glare at you out of the corner of his eye. "I don't like this. I don't like him."

Sakumo's slight smile fell as he glanced at you anxiously, "Now, now Kakashi. You haven't even given (Y/N) a real chance yet. Try to get to know him a little."

Kakashi looked offended. " _Tou-chan!_ Don't defend him! _I'm_ your first son!" Kakashi regarded himself as the oldest? That would make sense, as he held the Hatake name before you. You still didn't use it, and you and your mother hadn't been formally adopted into the Miyamoto clan. You currently opted to go without a clan name rather than continue to use Hyuga. As a Hyuga, bloodline meant the most when deciding familial ranks, but perhaps the Hatake did things differently? You'd have to ask Sakumo about how sibling ranks work later.

Sakumo looked distressed enough to melt into the floor. You watched as he stuttered out an apology for making it seem like he was picking sides. You decided to intervene before Sakumo's anxiety caused him to pass out or something.

"No," you said firmly, grabbing everyone's attention as you set your chopsticks down. You looked at Sakumo evenly before addressing him, "Kakashi's right. I don't need someone else to defend my pride. Besides, not only is he entitled to his own opinion, biased as it may be, but you should remember what this situation is like for him. He's used to being the only child, and now he has to share his only parent with some kid he doesn't know. Neither he nor I knew of each other's existence before this, so it's only rational he would show an aversion to me, and me him. We were both a firstborn and an only-child before, and now we have to share. It would be unnatural to just accept each other the first time we meet."

Silence. Blissful silence. You picked up your chopsticks again.

The silence stretched as you ate peacefully, Kakashi stared as if you grew a second head, and Sakumo glanced back and forth between your mother and you. Yoko smiled a smug smile to herself, obviously proud of your intelligence and understanding of the situation, despite you only being a child. If your mother only knew.

Sakumo mumbled something about being scolded before he addressed you again, "That's... really insightful, thank you."

You froze. Why would he, an adult, thank  _you,_ a child? You glanced at him out of the corner of your eye as he turned back to your mother, making small talk again. He was the first adult, besides _occasionally_  your mother, who would respect the opinion of a child over the social norm of a child being required to respect their elders. No wonder they got along; you wondered why they hadn't gotten married. Your respect for the man grew a little with that single line of thanks from him.

Kakashi interrupted your thoughts. "Oi! Don't defend me! I didn't ask for your help, nor need it!" The four-year-old was livid as he pointed an aggressive finger at you over the table. Sakumo looked like he was going to scold Kakashi again on reflex until he made eye contact with you. Your gaze dared him to overstep your previous words, and the man backed off reluctantly.

"Of course not," you replied to Kakashi dully, "So don't get all butthurt, I was defending myself. Don't cop an attitude just because the same circumstances applied to you."

"Butthurt...?" The four-year-old whispered in confusion. Though by his furrowed brows and squinted eyes, you knew he understood that the word was used as a mild insult. Didn't you tell yourself before dinner to watch your speaking? Your old habits were still more of an issue than you thought, it seemed. _No matter_ , you thought as you turned your attention to the adults' conversation. You debated interrupting to ask Sakumo a few questions now that you were a little more relaxed in his presence.

"(Y/N)?" Your mother grabbed your attention. "I had planned on you leaving tomorrow, but since you just returned tonight, I feel it's a bit too soon. Would you consider staying a few more days?"

Oh.  _Oh._  Well, you'd most certainly like to stay with her. But with your experience as a soldier, you knew goodbyes were best if short and sweet. Rip the bandage off quickly. If you lingered, you knew moods would sour and the parting would be bitter because neither of you would want to separate, especially after your previous tantrum. This was her decision and your time in the woods helped you make peace with that. The last thing you wanted was for her to doubt herself. After all, she was a mother doing what she thought was best for her only child, and there was only one way to find out if her choice was the correct one.

So, you shook your head. "No, there's no reason to make the situation bitter by lingering." Your mother looked down, her shoulders slumping a little in disappointment. But she knew that since you had respected her decision, it would be best to respect yours. She conceded quietly with a small, bittersweet smile.

After that, the meal passed quickly. You decided to wait until you were travelling to ask Sakumo your questions. You just hoped to at least get the morning with your mother before the Hatake man whisked you away.


	10. [7]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader parts ways with Yoko and sets out on his journey with his father and half-brother. Along the way, Sakumo explains the Hatake Clan in detail and you figure out why Kakashi doesn't like you.

The next morning, you woke with a groggy thought spared to what could have roused you up so early. You rolled over in your _futon_ , the soft scent of water lilies tempting you to wake as the gentle ambient orange of the sunrise began to drift through the _shoji_ _._  You cracked your eyes open, squinting at the strange location of your bedroll. You forgot that you had moved your  _futon_  into your mother's room last night because... Because Sakumo and Kakashi were sharing your room.

Movement off to the side caught your attention. Your mother was dressing behind a plain  _washi._  You sat up and rubbed the sleep out of your eyes as she reappeared wearing a pretty pastel pink  _yukata,_ her blue bandanna tied around her eyes.

"(Y/N)? Your awake," she stated, "Good morning, _musuko._ I'm sorry to wake you so early, I was just going to prepare breakfast. "You can go back to sleep for an hour or so."

You shook your head and stumbled to your feet, trying to not trip over your blankets. You shivered at the sudden chill of the early morning mountain air. "No, I'll help." You rushed to grab a pair of travelling clothes from a bag your mother had packed last night. It held most of your meager possessions, clothes, a spare pair of sandals, and a few spare  _kunai._ You still weren't any good at  _shuriken_ throwing, so you didn't carry them. The aerodynamics and physics involved with them just didn't make sense to you.

Quickly, you dressed in a pair of dark brown trousers and a shorter  _yukata_ with the hemline cut at your upper thigh. The color was a neutral tan and the tie around your waist was a dark brown to match your dark trousers. You tossed your sleepwear into your bag and shoved it to the side as you scrambled to your mother as she waited by the sliding door. She smiled down at you before the two of you exited and made your way to the kitchen. You were sure to close the  _fusuma_ behind you.

The two of you made your way to the kitchen. Your mother trailed her fingers softly along the paper walls of the house, even though she knew the layout by memory; it was a habit by now. You parted from your mother at the doorway to the kitchen, passing her to head toward the front exit of the house to get firewood from outside. When you reached the  _genkan,_ you slipped your sandals on. This pair didn't have ankle straps like your spare set, so they slid on easily. They reminded you a bit of the flip-flops from back in Amestris. You had never worn them much, having preferred boots and other close-toed shoes in your previous life. Unfortunately, the  _shinobi_  clans weren't exactly keen on keeping their toes covered. You wondered if it was a cultural thing. You hadn't really heard anything about a cultural significance to sandals, so maybe it was industrial? A shortage of leather or perhaps people were just conservative with their leather? It certainly was easier and more cost effective to make a pair of strappy sandals than a set of boots; so, if they wore out from use, having sandals would be easier and cheaper to replace than boots.

You nodded to yourself with your reasoning as you made your way around the outside of the house and toward the stack of firewood. Thankfully, Akihiro's son kept you and your mother stocked on firewood, so you didn't have to fetch it from the woods. Before grabbing some wood, you were sure to pull up some dry grass from around the stack for kindling, shoving it into the pockets of your trousers. Then, you selected an armful of small, chopped logs and made your way back inside. You were sure to leave your sandals in the  _genkan_ again. The last thing you wanted was for your mother to have to clean the  _tatami_  after you left later today.

You reentered the kitchen and set the logs by the  _irori._  As you sat, your mother knelt beside you and opened a little wooden box that sat next to the  _irori._ She pulled out a stick of flint and a small steel blade. That little blade was the only steel in the house, aside from your mother's weapons. Your own  _shinobi_  weapons were made of iron, because they were child's training blades. Steel weapons were scarce, unless you were from a large, richer clan, such as the Hyūga. That was another thing you had noted before your Byakugan changed; the Miyamoto had an abnormally high number of steel weapons. You had asked Akihiro about it once, and he had told you that the Miyamoto actually processed steel as an industry. They mined iron ore and carbon from deep in the mountains, smelting it with an array of other elements to create top-notch weapons of a higher quality than anywhere else. It was a dangerous and difficult trade, but the Miyamoto clan made their money making and selling steel weapons at a hefty price.

You picked the little steel blade from your mother's hand and struck it against the flint, the sparks landing on the tinder and igniting. Carefully, you stacked the firewood in a little pyramid over it; then you placed a grate over the fire for a pan to sit on. Your mother quietly brought over a small pan for you to begin grilling fresh salmon in. You had already gone to grab a few ingredients for some  _miso_ when there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it. It's probably Eisen- _san_." Right. That was Akihiro's first son. He was a brown-haired, brown-eyed man of average height and was rather plain looking. He brought fresh ingredients from the market every morning since the incident in the square. The citizens weren't exactly keen on you being in the heart of the compound after you had almost destroyed it and killed everyone. Instead, either Akihiro or Eisen would deliver food and supplies to your abode as you and your mother needed it. Eisen didn't interact with you much, preferring to talk to your mother. You weren't sure if it was because you were a child, or because of the market square. You didn't really care, so long as he was polite to your mother.

As she left to collect the supplies, you turned your attention back to the  _irori._ You prepped the white rice to steam in a covered pot before pulling out a cutting board and a sharp knife to prepare the fish and vegetables. A minute or so of you sitting quietly and trying to not eavesdrop on your mother and Eisen's hushed whispers and you heard the front door close. Your mother soon made her way back into the kitchen with a bundle of food wrapped in a clean satchel. She sat next to you and the two of you sorted them between the two. You would fry the fish and she would dice the vegetables for the  _tsukemono._  Unwrapping the salmon, you saw that Eisen had already skinned and sliced the fish. You scowled. It was getting on your nerves, all these grown men doing your jobs lately. Sakumo last night and Eisen this morning. A small part of you argued that you couldn't be mad about it; you hadn't been around the last few days and someone had to step in to help your mother. You winced at that thought.

Grilling up the fish as your mother finished with the vegetables, you checked on the rice. The meal was almost complete when you heard someone enter the kitchen.

"Smells delicious." It was Sakumo. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

You didn't look over at him as you brewed some fresh green tea, your mother answering him with a hum. "You could begin setting the table, if you don't mind."

Sakumo acknowledged her and opened a few cabinets, calling Kakashi in to help him.

Breakfast was a bit more subdued than last night's dinner. Your mother and Sakumo conversed quietly while you sat glued to your mother's side. Occasionally you would glance up at Kakashi. The boy was still obviously tired as he ate his breakfast with half-lidded eyes, his mask pulled down to reveal the little freckle by his bottom lip. You noticed his eyes drift all the way closed every few minutes as he halted chewing, seemingly falling asleep. Then his little dark pools would blink open a few seconds later, and he would continue chewing. It was amusing to say the least.

After the meal, you quietly helped your mother clean up the dishes and leftovers in a somber mood. Sakumo and Kakashi were leaving as soon as you were ready. Honestly, you didn't think you would ever really be ready to leave your mother. But the time was now. The two Hatakes were waiting outside as you stood in the  _genkan_ with your mother. Your sandals were on your feet, a dark brown  _haori_ worn over your tan  _yukata_ , and your pack tossed over your shoulder. Your mother hugged you tightly, and you gripped the back of her customary pastel  _yukata_. Your breathing was uneven as your mother slowly released you from her embrace. Your throat constricted, and you desperately held your tears from spilling.

There really weren't any words. The both of you knew that. You simply whispered a small "I'll see you later."

Your mother just gave a little, "Of course,  _musuko._ " She nodded, and smiled gently, as she ushered you out the door. Just like that, you were outside in the chilly mountain sunshine. You squinted, your eyes taking longer than the average pair to adjust to the sun, due to their pale color. You marched toward the two other males, eyes on the ground in a measly attempt to prevent them from seeing your watery eyes.

The two males began to lead you toward the center of the compound, in the direction of the gates. Slowing to a halt at the end of the footpath that led back to the little house you had called home over the last year or so, you hazarded a glance over your shoulder. You saw your mother close the front door, and although you couldn't hear the little click it made, your heart clenched as it slid into place. It was an irrational thought, but it felt as if she had slammed it closed after you. It was final. You were leaving, and she was staying.

You shook your head clear and jogged to catch up to the other two males, Sakumo leading the way and Kakashi in step beside and a little behind him. You fell into step behind both of them as you made your way to the main street of the compound. Passing through the market, you noticed the general lack of people. It was mid-morning and there was only a few people out and about. You glanced around, noticing a few clansmen peering through curtains or peeking at your little group from the corners of the street.

 _Aahhh...,_ you thought, _they're avoiding me_. It wasn't even subtle. You sighed quietly, and ignored them as Sakumo lead you and your half-brother through the gates, the handful of guards giving you a wide berth and wary glances. You noticed Sakumo look back at you a few times, but made no acknowledgement of his apparent concern over how the Miyamoto treated you. Exiting the compound in silence, the three of you continued to follow the rocky, well-traveled path that was just wide enough for a wagon.

You wondered why Sakumo didn't seem to have any concern over being spotted. He was a  _shinobi,_ right? So why didn't the man travel through the trees instead? A few hours later, a little after noon, your curiosity was too much. You waited for Sakumo to declare a break for lunch, and you asked him.

"Hey, Sakumo- _san_? Why are we out in the open, rather than traveling through the shadows? Aren't you at least a little worried about other _shinobi_? Or civilian soldiers? _Samurai?_ "

The man chuckled as he sat down on the side of the dirt path to unravel some rations. "No, I'm not particularly worried about being attacked."

Kakashi scoffed at you under his breath, but you ignored him. Instead, you sat yourself down in front of Sakumo as he handed you and your half-brother the divided rations.

"Well," you looked at him, ignoring the food in your hands. "Why not?"

Sakumo's eyes twinkled with something borderline mischievous, as if he knew something you didn't. "For starters, I have personal alliances with most of the clans around here, and have good working relations with most of the  _daimyo_ around. Even a  _shogun_ or two."

You looked at the man in bewilderment. How the hell did he manage that? He had to be way stronger and more conniving than you originally thought. It was dangerous to underestimate  _shinobi_  like that. You knew that, but his easy smile and benign attitude made you drop your guard. You were glad it had been Sakumo that you had cripplingly underestimated, rather than a  _shinobi_ that bore ill intentions.

"That must make travel convenient, I suppose. You get around a lot to know that many people, I'm guessing?" You studied the man in a new light as you pondered, turning the food over in your hands.

"I do. You will too. The Hatake clan is a very small one; it's nomadic in nature. Because of this, our dynamics are a bit different from other clans I've encountered."

"How so?" You nibbled at the bread in your hands, genuinely curious.

Sakumo paused, chewing his dried meat thoroughly before answering you. "I suppose you'll have to know, eventually. No time like the present. First, I'll explain who the Hatakes are. As individuals, we are extremely nomadic, and don't stay in a single location for long. Especially the males. We originate from a mountain range near the Miyamoto, in the Land of Iron. Our nomadic tendencies started after a war about four centuries ago, when the mountains we lived in became uninhabitable after a long, drawn out siege. Eventually, the Hatake were forced to vacate the mountains as our enemies sacked our homes. The survivors of the siege scattered across the lands, never settling to prevent our enemies from tracking us down and exterminating us. Even long after the hostilities came to an end, we were still fond of our nomadic nature, and retained it. Because of this, Hatake tend to have a wider skillset than normal, and are in a higher demand by warring  _daimyo_  as mercenaries, than typical _shinobi_  clans are. We're usually only called in to clean up messy situations or when the local clans are deadlocked."

You tilted your weight forward in interest, your food forgotten in your lap as Sakumo explained. "Since the Hatake never rebuilt our ranks, our dynamics run on a different loyalty system than other  _shinobi_ clans. Usually, clan ties are bound by bloodline; alliances are forged through an arranged marriage and secured with a child of mixed heritage. However, after the Hatakes scattered, we were far too few to use the regular system, and we had to begin mixing our blood with outsiders to prevent our own extinction. And so, we crafted another hierarchical system that suits us better. Hatake loyalty is something that is earned and sworn by, rather than something that is demanded. Hatake don't even really hold a sense of loyalty to each other, and the only person in the world who is able to band us together is the Clan Alpha. And he can only summon the Hatake that he doesn't have a personal alliance with if there is an immediate threat to the clan as a whole."

Sakumo continued as you remained silent, absorbing the information like a sponge, "After being granted the freedom to depart from their father's house, a Hatake heir is free to travel as they please. Individual sworn loyalty is held in higher regard than blood loyalty to a Hatake, and so the heir cannot take on the alliances their father made; instead they must forge their own alliances to secure their future. Along their travels, they will eventually come across people they favor. If the feeling is mutual, a sworn bond can be formed and the heir can begin to build their Household. A Household is like a Hatake's immediate family. A sub-clan that is completely loyal to the individual Hatake, and which the bonds that make it up are stronger than the blood ties of family. A Household can be comprised of anyone who the Hatake implicitly trusts and has sworn absolute fealty to the House. Civilians, criminals, rogue  _shinobi._  It doesn't matter; they live together, travel together, and fight together. If the Household is large enough, the Hatake will find a location to their liking, and construct a compound to live in while the Hatake travels with a small, mobile group."

You hummed as you thought of all the new possibilities now that you weren't bound within clan borders. This would make your quest to find the Zetsu exponentially easier, so long as you brushed up on your people skills and negotiating. You looked back at Sakumo and asked, "You said heir, what about if you have multiple heirs?" You couldn't help your eyes flicking toward Kakashi, Sakumo doing the same. The both of you noted the immediate souring of the youngest's expression.

Sakumo hummed. "It's not particularly common for a Hatake to have multiple children. So we still use the old system with that, with a few exceptions due to our small clan size. It goes like this: the eldest is the heir, however the inheritance can be passed to a younger sibling of the elder's choice without their death, so long as the elder sibling defers it themselves. Even with the death of the elder, a younger sibling cannot inherit their position unless they were named before the death. If the elder sibling so desires, he or she can even give the inheritance to a third sibling, or even someone in their Household over the second sibling. If a Hatake dies before having a child or naming another as their heir, their position dissolves. A Household also scatters if a Hatake dies. For example, my _Otou-san_ 's Household was comprised of different people than mine, even though a few of them renewed their loyalty because I allowed them to swear themselves into mine." So that was why Kakashi already hated you. You had stolen the inheritance of his beloved father without even realizing it.

You turned back to Sakumo. "How often does that happen? Deferring an inheritance, I mean."

"Not very often, but my elder brother did it."

"You have a brother?" Now you were curious to learn about the man's past.

"Indeed." Sakumo smiled fondly as he thought of his family. "I have an older brother and an older sister. I'm the youngest of three." He held up three fingers absentmindedly.

"Really? Why did he give it away? And to you, rather than your sister?" You hastily added, "No offense." You bit eagerly into some bread as your stomach growled for food. Even Kakashi had perked up a bit to hear the answer.

Sakumo snickered at the two of you as he finished his meal. "My elder brother is a free spirit. He wanted nothing to do with responsibility growing up. He's still quite irresponsible, if you ask me. As for my sister, she ran off to marry a man in another clan. She eloped, and my father nearly disowned her for it. He didn't thankfully, but without her loyalties with the Hatake, she was ineligible to inherit anything. I don't have an alliance with her clan, so it's unlikely you'll meet her. Unless you leave my Household and go by yourself. But since she had been raised a Hatake, her personal loyalty system is like ours. She holds no loyalty to any of her blood relatives, myself and you pups included. She wouldn't have any remorse for cutting us down if her clan ordered it."

"Oh," was all you said. You turned back to your meal and finished it quietly as Sakumo explained where you all were headed. The three of you would come across a small town a little after dusk and find an inn to stay at for the night. Sakumo had yet to decide how long you would be staying there, but you figured it couldn't be more than a few days. Sakumo and Kakashi set off again as you scrambled up, finishing your food. You followed after the two, more comfortable in their presence than you had been since you had eaten breakfast with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo, I have pages and pages of notes on all the dynamics of different clans. So let me know if anything needs expounding on^^
> 
> As always, comments and constructive criticism are both welcome<3


	11. [8]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonding with Sakumo, training, and Kakashi starts to lighten up a bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was only marginally edited by me, so I apologize in advance for errors.

It was dark by the time you reached the edge of town; the stars glowing brightly on the inky canvas above you. You were exhausted by nightfall, your pack feeling as if it weighed double what it actually did. Sakumo had been carrying Kakashi for the last few hours. Your little group meandered into town, Sakumo leading the way into an inn. You followed behind as he entered and took in the decor. Everything was a warm wooden color; the lights from the candles, and the small fire in the corner of the room, yellowed the surrounding pallets of color. 

The night-shift employee looked up. It was an elderly man who smiled at your father in a friendly manner. Sakumo conversed quietly with him and soon enough, the employee checked your father into the written logbook for a room. You yawned widely as they exchanged a key for a few coins.

Sakumo lead the way down the hall and you noticed the bamboo floor had a grainy texture under your sandals. You guessed a wood flooring would be easier than _tatami_ to keep in good order with strangers coming and going all the time. Entering the small room, Sakumo closed the door behind you and you looked around. The room was bare of accessory furniture, only a small bucket, a four-panel  _washi,_  a small  _chabudai,_ and few well-worn _zabuton._  Not that the sparseness bothered you. Sakumo directed you to set up your _futon_ in the far corner as he attempted to set up Kakashi's next to yours with one hand. The sleeping Kakashi was still balanced precariously in his other arm.

You wordlessly shooed the man away and smoothed out Kakashi's _futon_ , sandwiching your own next to the wall as Sakumo watched in surprise. He whispered a genuine ' _thank_ _you'_ for helping without being asked. You nodded sleepily at him, as he gently set Kakashi on his bedding. He grabbed the wooden bucket in the other corner and left to grab some water. You stripped off your shirt and sandals, rolling up your trouser hems in preparation to scrub yourself down in a half-assed manner before passing out for the night.

Sakumo returned with the bucket of water and dug a strip of cloth out of his bag, handing it to you first. You dipped the rag into the water, shivering at the cold temperature and wringing it out.

"Sorry it's cold," Sakumo said, "I was in a bit of a rush, so I didn't warm it with the fire in the lobby."

You mumbled in acknowledgement, proceeding to scrub your torso, feet, and shins. You tossed the rag back into the bucket, wringing it out again to rinse it before handing it to back to Sakumo. You crawled over to your _futon_ , cuddling up into your blanket as you listened to Sakumo wipe down Kakashi and himself. You passed into unconsciousness by the time the man had crawled into his own _futon_ on the other side of the still-sleeping Kakashi, his back facing the two of you.

* * *

You gasped awake, sweat matting your hair to your brow. You shivered in the cool night air as you realized your bedding was crumpled up by your feet. It was another nightmare about you and your mother being attacked in the forest at the base of the mountains. You hadn't had one of those in a while. You missed your mother acutely; the grief of not being able to curl up next to her, as she soothed your mind of your night terrors, lanced through your heart.

"Everything alright?" It was Sakumo, his voice rough with sleep.

You looked over at him, noticing he was sitting up, blinking away his sleep, as he gripped a _kunai_ in one hand. You understood now. The sleeping arrangements were a defense habit, putting himself between his sons and the door, his back to the wall. It prevented being surrounded while sleeping. You guessed that even if he was comfortable in this territory, you could never be too careful. And besides, you were learning quickly that old habits died hard, especially for _shinobi_.

"Y-yeah," you mumbled as you filed away the information in your mind, "just another nightmare."

"Another?" Sakumo whispered, looking fully awake as he set his _kunai_ aside. He rested his arms on his bent knees in a relaxed manner. "Do you want to talk about it?"

You really didn't. You dodged him, clearing your throat. "Can you tell me about your Household? Why don't they travel with you?"

Sakumo acknowledged your avoidance with humoring your question, speaking lowly so as not to wake Kakashi. The youngest was still laying peacefully between the two of you, his mask pulled down around his neck to prevent any hindering to his breathing as he slept.

"I disbanded my House about eleven years ago. You're about nine and a half, right? Then it would have been a little over a year before I met your mother, actually."

"Can I ask why?" You looked up at him through the darkness, barely able to see his eyes in the shadows. His long grey hair was loose from his customary ponytail. It glinted silver from the moonlight shining in the window behind him. You absentmindedly noticed that the full moon was a few nights away.

"I don't really wish to discuss particular details, especially not here. But I will say that I reached a crossroads. I was lost for a while, and needed time to sort myself out. A breather of sorts, if you will. I didn't know how long it would take, and so I discussed it with a few of the more senior members of my House. They agreed that it would be best to disband, but remain allied, in order to quell any anger over the decision from the younger and more zealous members. I got my space, and they could remain loyal if they chose to. The best win-win we could come up with."

"But over eleven years ago? Are you planning on reforming your house?"

Sakumo smiled in the darkness. "Honestly? Probably not. It'll more than likely just be you boys and I traveling together. That's alright, I hope?"

You nodded your head. Of course it was alright. You wanted a big family, but you weren't really sure how you would adjust to one right off the bat. Besides, with the Hatake dynamics, after a certain age his Household wouldn't be  _your_ family anymore, they'd be  _his._ "Well," you started again, "Did you at least find what you were looking for?"

He was quiet for a moment, eyeing you and Kakashi, before a grin split his face. "Why, yes. I believe I have."

You smiled absentmindedly at him, sleep tugging at your eyelids once again now that your heart was calmed. You yawned, vaguely wondered what he was looking for but glad that he had found it. He seemed nice enough to at least deserve to not wander aimlessly. "I'm glad," you mumbled.

He set a big hand on top of your head, patting your drying hair. "Go back to sleep. Tomorrow, I'm going to assess your training thus far. You'll need your rest."

You nodded groggily, burrowing yourself back into your blankets, ignoring Sakumo being a mother hen about you having enough blankets. You were glad that he already cared enough about you to make sure you didn't get a chill from your previous nightmare-induced sweating.

* * *

The next morning, you were tired as you changed your clothes. Your restless night showed in the slightly darkened skin underneath your eyes, Sakumo not commenting on them as you changed behind the  _washi_ screen. Sakumo was already ready and waking Kakashi up as you assessed your outfit. Today you wore a similar outfit to the one you had worn yesterday, but made sure you put on your strappy sandals. The flip flop-like  _zori_  weren't as suited to training and combat as these  _waraji_ were.

You sighed heavily and exited, seeing a zombie-esque Kakashi half asleep as Sakumo brushed the little boy's teeth. You snickered under your breath at how weirdly cute it was to watch the pair's clashing personalities as they went about mundane tasks. You inhaled deeply again, turning to your pack and strapping your  _kunai_ pouches to your body. You really only carried  _kunai_ at this stage in your training, opting not to carry the ridiculous contraptions of death called  _shuriken._  They were just a big, fat no to your abilities and you weren't tall enough to practice with the  _katana_ the Miyamoto had gifted your mother. She had ran you through  _kenjutsu_ drills sometimes, but with sticks rather than with her too-long-for-you blade.

You quietly secured your full pouch to your thigh and stashed several  _kunai_ across various layers in your loose _yukata,_  as well as up your sleeves with bandages holding them against your arms. By the time you were finished, Kakashi was dressed and strapping several weapons onto himself as well. _Is Sakumo-san really going to let a four-year-old train,_ you thought, mildly distressed at the sight. But then you recalled you were only nine to these people. And Daichi... Wow. You hadn't thought about him in a long time... You shook your head. It wasn't relevant, Daichi was only four when you left the Hyuga and you, yourself had been only  _three_  when they began letting you handle weapons. Because you had been an 'early bloomer.'

Why were children allowed to handle weapons and be trained so young in this world? Your eyes widened as you realized you could only come up with one answer that made any sense.

Bile crept up the back of your throat at the thought. It was obvious! Child soldiers!  _Shinobi_ were sending their children onto the battlefields! You swallowed thickly, an overwhelming urge to yell at Sakumo overcoming you as tears of rage burned behind your eyes. You still weren't used to this body in many ways, the mood swings included. Were all children like this or was there a hormonal difference from your previous bod-

"(Y/N)!" You snapped your gaze over your shoulder towards the door. Sakumo and Kakashi were standing in the hallway, as your father held the door for you. Your half-brother rolled his eyes at you, his odd undergarment stretched over his face for the day. You scampered after them, Sakumo shutting and locking the doorbehind you.

Your group was quiet as you all made your way out of the inn, the early morning sun in the sky. The town was already awake, the shop owners and tradesmen petitioning early travelers to give them a few moments of their time. The three of you continued to edge of the settlement, where the trees met the flattened, well-traveled grass. Sakumo reached into a pouch on his waist, pulling out two apples. He handed one to you and one to Kakashi, gesturing for you to eat as you searched for a good place to train. You wondered in passing if he had already eaten.

The three of you found an area of trees that wasn't as dense as the surrounding forests and decided it would be good enough.

"Kakashi," Sakumo instructed, "I want you to practice your  _shuriken_ and  _kunai_ over there." He pointed off to the side.

Kakashi protested immediately. "No way! Teach me something!  _N_ _injutsu!"_

Sakumo sighed tiredly and you got the feeling they had already had this conversation before. "Your chakra coils aren't going to be developed enough to train until you're at least five. Do you want to damage them permanently?" You were right.

The four-year-old scowled darkly as he pointed to you. " _He_ started using chakra when he was three!" You couldn't help but feel a little smug as you listened to them, even though you didn't actually know any  _ninjutsu_ yet.

"You were eavesdropping again?"

"I was in the same room. You should have talked quieter. Don't avoid the topic."

The man seemed utterly exasperated. "(Y/N)'s only practice with chakra has been meditation, his  _dojutsu,_ and the early stages of the Hyuga techniques like flow and control. You refuse to meditate and don't have the patience to learn basic control. Even if your chakra coils were developed, you'd kill yourself if you attempted any  _ninjutsu._ "

Ouch. That was the first time you had seen Sakumo's temper, and he wasn't even aggressive. Just firm. General Armstrong had been _way_ scarier. But the words devastated Kakashi, and you had an inkling as to why he had tried to make this a competition. The little boy stormed off to the edge of the perimeter Sakumo had assigned and began aggressively throwing his  _shuriken_ at the trees.

You awkwardly stood in front of Sakumo as he rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Alright, Yoko gave me the general idea of where you are with your training, but I'd like to see for myself. We'll start with  _taijutsu."_

You nodded, backing off from him as you readied yourself. You dropped into a crouch and breathed deeply as you strategized. You didn't know anything about how a Hatake fought, but he had talked extensively with your mother. You already knew you had a snowflake's chance in hell at beating him without your alchemy or _dojutsu_ , so you decided to just stick to the basics.

You rocketed off the balls of your feet toward him. You made sure to keep low to the ground, digging your foot into the ground in front of him and launching yourself up into a somersault. You lashed out a heel with force, aiming for the middle of the grey hair growing from his scalp.

A quick palm met your heel and reversed your momentum. You kicked off Sakumo's gloved hand, using it as a launchpad and twisted into a backflip. Your hand slipped into your pouch to grab a  _kunai_ as you fell toward the earth again. As soon as your feet met the ground you darted towards him. You sent a flurry of strikes at the man, but he dodged, blocked, or redirected each and every one. His face was bereft of expression but his dark eyes glinted with ferocity. You wondered if you should start trying to do that as a  _shinobi_  too; you had been told several times that you were too expressive during your stint of training with the Hyuga.

Abruptly you were thrust away from Sakumo. You twisted to land on your feet, looking up at him. Your eyes widened. He was right in front of you. Jumping back, you sloppily ducked under his elbow.

You didn't have the opportunity to go on the offensive again as he loosed sharp attacks in quick succession. You couldn't get enough distance between the two of you. Sakumo's presence as you sparred was overwhelming. It was aggressive and ferocious; nothing like your mother's gentle determination. You couldn't  _breathe_ in the face of his intensity.

You curled in on yourself, gripping your  _kunai_ tightly as fear flashed through your mind. Sakumo halted his onslaught and you tumbled to the ground. His intimidating aura faded from your mind and your breathing was unsteady as you recollected your bearings.

"You're very quick, but your mind wanders too easily." Sakumo's voice was calm, assessing. "First on offence, then again just now while you were on defense. I know it's difficult to be aware of your surroundings without dropping focus on your adversary, but you need work at it. You're easily distracted when things are going smoothly and are easily intimidated when your opponent has intentions of killing you."

You couldn't argue with his words. You were in the top five in strength as an alchemist back in Amestris during your previous life, but the mere thought of your non-alchemist, but highly strict General  _still_ mildly intimidated you. And you had been reincarnated years ago, at that. It was kind of sad when you thought about it.

Sakumo sighed. "Don't worry too much; it will take some work to change that habit, but I'll teach you. For now, let's take a look at your throwing skills."

You nodded as you rose from the ground, hoping he didn't ask you to throw a  _shuriken._

* * *

You and Kakashi were back inside the rented room together. Sakumo was out grabbing dinner from some vendors. The two of you were already washed up and wearing clean, loose  _yukatas_ for bed; Kakashi's weird mask-undergarment thing was drying next to the water bucket after being washed. You were glad you had a few minutes to talk to him. You didn't want his beef with you to go on much longer after his near-tantrum in the woods.

"Hey Kakashi." The little grey-haired boy pointedly ignored you as he cleaned and inspected his weapons for dull edges. You had already finished yours, but Kakashi was slightly obsessive about it. You sighed, not wanting to approach him as he handled sharp objects, but did so anyway. Sitting in front of him, you heard him growl under his breath.

"Relax, Brat. You don't have to talk, just listen." His angry eyes snapped up to your calm blue, but you continued before he could begin spouting more hate at you. "I'm deferring the position of heir to you."

The surprise on his face was comical, his eyes blown wide and his jaw actually unhinged a little. You nodded to him once and stood up, attempting to walk away when he stopped you with a grip on your wrist.

"Why. Why would you do this? Are you mocking me?" You looked back at him to see the scowl on his face. You shook your head and he continued. "Then you're taking the position lightly. I'll kill you for insulting me and  _Tou-chan_ like that."

You raised an eyebrow as he flashed the  _kunai_ in his hand at you. "I'm not. The position was yours first, so you should keep it. Besides, I have some things I want to do and having the responsibility of leading a Household might get in the way." His grip on you loosened and you stepped away, intent on heading for your  _futon_ to get a few minutes of rest before Sakumo returned.

"This isn't going to make me like you any. I won't be bought like that." Despite his words, his voice was missing its usual edge.

You smiled to yourself and hummed in acknowledgement, flopping into your futon as your exhaustion from the last few days caught up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, comments, <3s, and constructive criticism is appreciated!


	12. [9]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You meet another canon character and unlock the Tragic Backstory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, it's been a little while. But in the last few weeks, I completely overhauled the plot of this story to give you a bit more time with Mads as a child, as well as lay the foundation for some future arcs.

You were approximately twelve when you realized you had spent the last three years traveling with Sakumo and Kakashi. By now, you were well-traveled and accustomed to the western and northern lands. You had been to the east a few times, but you weren’t particularly confident in your ability to traverse there. Though you spent a bit of your free time sightseeing, it seemed as if you were always busy training and doing odd jobs your father was commissioned for. Infiltrations, assassinations, bodyguard and escort duty, among other things. You and Sakumo usually did the dirty work without Kakashi because Sakumo didn't want him exposed to the grittier aspects of _shinobi_ life this early. You, however, he didn't have much of a problem with tagging along because you had already been exposed to violence when you escaped the Hyuga. If only he knew that wasn't why the gore didn't affect you as much as it should.

Because you went along with him, he had begun to teach you _ninjutsu_. At first he drilled you with basic things such as control, but because of your prior experience and Hyuga blood, you passed that phase with flying colors quickly. Next were basic techniques such as clones and transformations. You didn’t particularly find the clones very useful because they were illusory in nature and had no actual form, but they had come in handy once or twice as decoys and such. At the moment, you were mastering flickering techniques and had began elemental _ninjutsu_ training. Sakumo was teaching you the basics of lightning _jutsu_. Kakashi was not far behind you, having began his chakra training a few months ago and you had to admit you were a little envious about how easily he picked up everything. Yes, you had a cool _dojutsu_ , and could definitely kick the kid’s ass, but the simple inborn talent for _shinobi_ arts that Kakashi was born with was formidable. To be honest, the sheer talent he had reminded you a little of Alphonse.

Kakashi had warmed up marginally over the last three years as well. Though he wasn't particularly friendly, the aloof grey-haired seven-year-old didn't go out of his way to pick fights or be abrasive toward you. Unless he thought you were being an idiot. You refused to admit that happened quite often at first, especially before you got better control over your facial expressions. He still mocked you about your horrific lack of ability with _shuriken_. 

You currently found yourself walking through the outskirts of the capital in the Land of Birds. The _daimyo_ of the area had a working relationship with your father and regularly hired him as a bodyguard and escort when dealing with people he didn't trust. The man lived in a big, square castle made of wood and stone, but honestly the outside of his abode looked more like a fortress to you.

The three of you waited by the gates until the guards were given you permission to pass. You vaguely compared their lax security to the train stations in Amestris. These guards didn’t even want to check your packs. You supposed it was either they were too complacent, the _daimyo_ implicitly trusted your father wasn’t hired to kill him, or they were just plain stupid. The last alternative was that you had become as paranoid as your father in the last few years. You already had a higher-than-average level of paranoia from being a soldier and then your early life in this world, but in your time traveling as a Hatake it had skyrocketed.

Yes, you had decided to formally accept the Hatake name about eight months into your travels. It was when you opted to start calling your father ‘ _Tou_ - _san_ ,’ and you could tell it had thrilled Sakumo. Kakashi was rather neutral about it, still referring you by your name without honorifics. It was as if it made him physically ill to address you with any familiarity or respect. You were a little disappointed, but it wasn’t like you made it any easier on him. You addressed him the same out of respect for his decision; it seemed to calm his temper slightly if you didn’t acknowledge your shared blood. So, it was either his name or ‘Brat,’ if he was being snotty. Over time his words held less and less bite, and by now it was more banter than mean-spirited insults.

By the time you made it inside the castle, it was mid-afternoon. Your father was to immediately be escorted to meet with the _daimyo_ , and since you were going to be working with him, he gave you the opportunity to tag along. Of course, you jumped at the chance, Kakashi only mildly upset that he was given to the care of the servants for a tour. Your bags were also handed over. You followed behind your father quietly, taking in all the intricate detailing on the walls and ceiling of the hallways. There was huge open _shoji_ to let in the sunlight and paintings on the stationary walls. The carved _ranma_ reminded you a bit of the Hyuga estate you lived in and your lips turned down in a subtle frown.

Your father’s title, “White Fang,” was announced when you entered a room that reminded you a bit of a throne room. That was another thing you missed about Amestris; the higher-ups never sat on thrones. Of course, they demanded respect, but they didn’t look down on someone or discredit them as human beings for not holding the same authority as themselves. Amestris didn’t have a caste system.

The man sitting on the dais was a short, plump old man, his excess weight telling of his indulgences. He was dressed in exuberant purples and golds, his wispy hair tied into a topknot. Once your father made it to within ten meters of the throne, he bowed at the waist and you followed his lead as you stood two steps behind and to his right. The bowing was another thing you weren’t fond of. Thankfully, you didn’t have to kneel and press your forehead to the floor because you and your father weren’t the man’s subjects.

“Approach.” The old man’s voice was as flakey as his skin. “I’m glad you came on such short notice, Hatake-san.”

The both of you stood straight and you followed your father closer to the dais, stopping a few meters away. “Nakamura- _sama_ ,” your father addressed the _daimyo_.

“Introduce the little sprout.”

“Of course. This is my first son, Hatake (Y/N).” Sakumo gestured to you and you bowed again. “(Y/N), this is the esteemed _daimyo_ of the Land of Birds, Nakamura- _sama_.”

“Nakamura- _sama_ ,” you mumbled your acknowledgement, being sure to not look the man in the eyes.

The old man hummed. “Pleasure to meet you, Hatake- _kun_.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Nakamura- _sama_.” Your voice was complacent, and you kept your eyes to the base of his dais in faux recognition of your lesser status as you stood straight.

The _daimyo_ turned his attention back to your father with a smile. “He's quiet and respectful. I like that.”

The muscles under your father’s eyes tightened in distaste at the tone the man used. Your skin crawled and a flash of irritation lanced through you as the _daimyo_ looked you up and down. Sakumo smiled congenially as he set a placating hand on your two-toned hair, knowing you were only quiet around people outside the family. You were indeed respectful, but only if it was convenient or earned first, and you showing respect to the _daimyo_ was only because of the alliance he had with Sakumo. Your father was the only one you actually respected in the room and he knew it.

Sakumo subtly pushed you behind him and you stepped back, listening in as the _daimyo_ explained the job he was hiring for. He wanted you to scout the movements of a rambunctious mercenary group traveling through the northern section the Land of Wind. If they made their way toward the Land of Birds, they were to be disposed of at the border before they had the chance to invade. After some negotiations about pay, housing, and supplies during the mission, you watched carefully, the _daimyo_ officially hired Sakumo.

The two of you were escorted to the room you would take residence in until the end of the mission. Sakumo had requested the lot of you to room together, much to the _daimyo's_ chagrin. Kakashi should be waiting for the both of you already. Being absolutely famished, you couldn’t wait to wash up and ready yourself for dinner. You skipped ahead of Sakumo and trailed less than a step behind the servant escorting you. You noticed the man’s lips quirk in amusement as he showed you to the door to your quarters.

You slid the door open, being met with a strange sight. Kakashi sat on the tatami in the middle of the of the room, cleaning his weapons after setting up your three futons in their customary position by the furthest corner. None of that was strange.

What was strange was Kakashi's shoulders tensed tightly enough that you felt a bit of worry that he would strain something as he aggressively scrubbed his weapons. That, and there was a little brown-haired girl a little older than him, but younger than you, sitting a few paces to his side, her eyes fixated on him. She was dressed in a modest tan-colored servant's _yukata_ and had purple rectangles of paint on her cheeks. Her chestnut hair was cut straight at her shoulders and her eyes were big and a beautiful shade of brown.

You awkwardly stood in the doorway as the both of them looked up at you, Kakashi's eyes showing irritation and relief at your appearance, and the little girl’s eyes showed her surprise. You coughed awkwardly; the little girl immediately stood and introduced herself, bowing politely at the waist.

“Hello, I am called Rin. I am here to assist you with any of your needs during your stay.”

You smiled at the little girl. “Hi there. I’m (Y/N) and this is Kakashi and I’s _Otou_ - _san_ , Sakumo.” You gestured vaguely behind you when you heard Sakumo finally step through the door.

“Kakashi introduced himself, right?” Sakumo asked as he closed the _fusuma_  behind himself.

You saw the boy put his head down as he went back to scrubbing in an attempt to go unnoticed and it was the girl’s turn to smile awkwardly. “O-of course!” The girl covered for him. Your half-brother’s eyes flicked to the girl’s form; his expression obviously incredulous under his mask.

You exchanged a glance with Sakumo. Kakashi hadn’t used his manners again. The girl, Rin, was obviously lying through her teeth. You wondered why she would do that for your little brother, but the answer was obvious when she went back to sitting next to Kakashi, her full attention on him again. You snorted, Kakashi glaring vindictively at you from under his thin grey eyebrows, before you could stifle the sound behind your palm. The girl didn’t seem to hear.

You gave the boy a shit-eating grin, ignoring his eyes begging you for help, in favor of sitting down with your father near the futons to discuss any plans. Kakashi huffed, packing up his weapons and moving to sit between you and your father. When Rin moved to follow him, Kakashi growled in annoyance, making Rin flinch.

The smile fell from your face and in a moment of pity, you stood up again and addressed your father. “Well, I’d like to take a look around if you want to fill Kakashi in on the mission.”

When your father nodded, you looked at Rin and she stumbled over herself to accommodate. You followed the girl out and glanced back, noticing Kakashi slump in relief as you shut the _fusuma_. You snickered at the sight.  
Rin led you through the halls, explaining the locations, paths, and general history of the place. The girl was charming as the two of you giggled together as you swapped stories of mishaps and awkward situations. You realized the two of you got along splendidly with your relaxed personalities.

Eventually, you found yourself in the extravagant gardens outside and sitting on a bench under a large pergola. The conversation lulled as you studied the ivies climbing up the pillars and the extravagant koi pond in front of you. You figured now was as good a time as any to ask her.

“This is kind of personal, and you don’t have to answer me if you don’t wish to, but how long have you been a servant of this castle?”

Rin froze. “I… I have always served Nakamura- _sama_.” She seemed to choke on the words, looking away to study the scenery as you leveled your gaze on her.

“You don’t need to lie to me if the topic makes you uncomfortable.” She was quiet, but made no attempt to change the topic, so you continued. “I’d hazard a guess to say you came into service of Nakamura- _sama_ around two years ago. Maybe less.”

Her face scrunched and she glared at her lap. You decided to remain quiet until she was decided to pick the conversation up again. You hoped when she did, that it wasn’t to tell you off or make you leave. Rin’s shoulders slumped as she came to a decision. She glanced around before looking at you from the corner of her eye, her fingers tangling the fabric of her loose tan  _kimono_  in her fists.

“How’d you know? I thought my manners were perfect.”

You poked her puffed cheek with your index finger. “They are. You’re the only servant I’ve seen with painted cheeks. Clearly from a culture outside the Land of Birds.”

She blinked, rubbing her cheek. Tiny flecks of paint stuck to her fingers from the motion. She looked at the purple paint flecks a little forlornly. “You’re smart. I’m not from the Land of Birds.”

“So where are you from, originally?”

She sighed again and wiped her fingers on her kimono as she looked out at the fountain again. “I’m not sure. My parents were merchants on a trading caravan that traveled around the southern and western lands.”

She was a gypsy? “So how’d you end up all the way up here? If you don’t mind me asking?”

Her mouth pressed into a thin line, her gaze dropping onto her lap again. “I…” She trailed off, breathing deeply before starting again. “My parents were poor. Very poor. And when I was around five, they ran into some trouble…” She looked up at you again. “It’s not their fault, I was an extra mouth to feed, and _Kaa_ - _chan_ fell ill and _Tou_ - _chan_ … He really needed the money.”

Your stomach turned and suddenly couldn’t breathe. She looked at you in a way that pleaded for you to understand the necessity of the situation. Only you didn’t. You stood abruptly, fists and jaw clenched as a white-hot fury lanced through your body.

She gripped your forearm before you accidentally made a scene by yelling in front of a nonexistent audience. “(Y/N)! Look, you seem really nice, but please don’t attract any attention! It was necessary.”

“Necessary!? Your parents sold you!”

“ _Kaa_ - _chan_ was dying!” She yelled at you. Your anger simmered at the tears swelling in her eyes. Her voice was hoarse as she said, “She needed the medicine. And this was the only way to get it. I’m alright with it. They can always have more children later.”

You looked at her incredulously. That… That was not what you were angry about. It wasn’t that her parents sold their only child, it was that they sold a child at all. Did she not realize just how wrong it was? She wasn’t even a paid servant like the others. She was metaphorically chained to Nakamura’s ankle.

“I’m flattered you would be angry for me though.” Rin smiled at you. You slumped back onto the bench, still scowling as you mumbled. She squinted at you. “What did you say.”

“I said I’m not angry, I’m fucking pissed.” She flinched back from your language and you apologized.

She started giggling at you. “That’s quite some language for a kid.”

You huffed at her, your thoughts darkening as you thought about her situation. You opted to continue your questioning while she was still willing to talk. “Do they take care of you here?”

“Yep!” She chirped.

“And you’ve never been hurt? Ever?” Your sharp eyes glanced at her when she hesitated.

“Well, I mean- the chores were a little difficult to pick up at first. But other than that, no, not yet.”

“Yet?”

Rin winced slightly at her slip-up. “It’s getting late, I think we should head back. You need to wash up before dinner.”

The muscles under your eyes tightened at her change in subject, but you took the hint. The two of you made your way back in silence that wasn’t entirely uncomfortable. She dropped you off at your shared room with a polite “(Y/N)- _san_.” You had insisted she called you by your name when she trued to address you as “Hatake- _san_.”

Throughout the rest of the evening, you forgot about the friendly little girl as you discussed mission plans with your father and brother. Until your mind began to drift, keeping you from rest as you laid awake in your futon. You internally debated Rin’s earlier words as you listened to your family’s deep breathing to your left. You combed over everything you could remember from the moment you stepped into the palace.

Your mind conjured up possible reasons why Rin could possibly know in advance that she was going to be hurt. Sometime after midnight, as you shifted to press your back to the wall, it clicked.

The throne room and your interaction with Nakamura was the key. The way he had looked at you and the things he said! He wasn’t projecting himself onto you per se, but simply your age and demeanor at the time! The bastard's waiting for Rin to age a little before taking advantage of her!

You choked on a growl as your temper flared again, your father shifting awake at the sound. After scanning the room subtly, he looked at you tightly curled under your blankets. You couldn’t keep the fierce scowl off your face. Your father raised an eyebrow at your behavior, wondering at the sudden irritability and short temper you had developed in the last few months.

“Do… Do you want to talk about what’s bothering you?” He started, his mind drawing it’s own conclusions about your behavior.

“No.” You grumped at him.

“Alright then.” Sakumo gave you another strange look. “Try and get some rest then. Routine sleep is good for your health.”

 _Obviously_ , you thought as you bit your tongue to keep from snapping at him. Rin’s situation wasn’t his fault. Instead, you huffed an affirmative at him and wiggled around in your bundle of blankets until you faced the wall. You heard your father recline back on his futon and continued to glare at the wall as Sakumo’s breathing evened out. You decided you were alright setting out on the mission sleep-deprived. It wasn't as if that didn't already happen with your recurring nightmares.

Your mind kicked into high gear again as you began to plot how you were going to smuggle Rin out of the castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the reason this is so late, is I underestimated the difficulty of my summer courses and am regretting it dearly at the moment. I hate to do this, but Singularity is going to have irregular updates. I'll try to not let it go more than a month without updating this summer, but we will just have to see. I really should stop setting deadlines for myself; I'm awful at keeping them...
> 
> Like always, feel free to comment, react, or ask questions! I love to hear from readers! <33


	13. [10]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patrol, lots of anger, and LIES. Oh, also I tossed in another canon character, just for the hell of it :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Help, I've fallen and I can't get up.

Your bad mood carried over into the next day as you set out for the southern border of the Land of Birds, where it met with the Land of Wind. Your lack of sleep made you more irritable on top of your simmering rage on Rin’s behalf and even Kakashi wasn’t tempted to test you. You couldn’t remember the last time your mind had been so clouded with your anger.

The three of you reached a patrol outpost mid-morning, the trip taking several hours. Your group would set up a sort-of base camp here for the week, Kakashi being assigned to watch over it when you and Sakumo tailed the patrols as they scouted the border. You squinted out of the window of little shed you and your family would be staying in for the duration of your stay. The sun was bright behind the clouds today and you shielded your eyes. You thought you had gotten used to the sensitivity that the paleness your mother’s eyes brought, but today was proving you wrong. Your pulse throbbed in your head.

The breeze brought a strong scent of pollen that made you choke. You covered your nose with your sleeve, the sunlight flashing in your eyes again. Growling, you ducked under the window as you rubbed your eyes. Were you getting a migraine? Was the transplanted Byakugan finally having adverse effects?

You sighed. Nothing to do about it now. You had to focus on the mission and then Rin’s extraction.

You spent the next few hours finalizing plans and scouting out the little post, dodging the obnoxiously loud civilian troops and sniffing out every nook and cranny of the buildings. You had a light lunch to prepare to leave with the evening patrol, just enough to sustain yourself. Eating heavy prior to an expedition had more negatives than positives: sluggishness, increased need to relieve yourself later, and possible stomach cramps if you ran into trouble. During the meal you listened in on the scouts’ briefings. The mercenaries approached the border at a rapid pace before stopping in an outcropping of rocks. There was a high chance of attack on the next patrol.

When late afternoon came, you and Sakumo tailed the civilian patrol. As you approached the southern border, the terrain changed, becoming more rugged. The foliage was no longer lush grasslands and full of nut trees, but dry grass and sandy soil. The air became less humid, though far hotter in the evening sun and the scent of sweat and filth on the breeze choked you as much as the gritty air irritated your lungs. The area was obviously suffering desertification. You wondered if this was the reason for Nakamura’s concern over the area: there was a possibility you were seeing a wide-range _jutsu_ to wear down the patrols in the area before an invasion. If the Land of Wind attacked the little Land of Birds, it would be a massacre.

Sweat slicked your brow and your thoughts became hazy as you followed the patrol. More than once you noticed Sakumo’s glances at you, but you ignored the worry in his eyes. You both had more important things to think about than whether you were catching a fever or not. He didn’t bring it up, so neither did you.

An explosion ahead of you on the trail from the direction of the patrol, caught your attention. You and your father dived behind separate boulders for cover just before the fiery wave of light and heat blasted past, the boom making the ground tremble with the effort of not cracking under the pressure. You made sure your ears and eyes had been covered, but your ears still rang, the migraine just behind your eyes bursting forward with a vengeance.

By the time you uncovered your ears, your father was gone, and you peeked out from behind the rock that had saved you from severe bodily harm, if not death itself. The meager grass had been burnt away, the shriveled trees blackened, and the sand scorched. You noted that several patches of sand had actually melted into glass, the smell of thick smoke and charred flesh burning your nose. Bile fought its way up the back of your throat at the likeness you found in the situation to the battlefields surrounding Ishval.

You saw a flash of blue-tinted lightning in the heavy air. Your father. Another man, shadowed and clad in dark robes attacked. Your eyes tracked Sakumo's grey mane, his lightning chakra glowing, flashing, highlighting the enormous dark forms of two more enemies. The sight of their dark bodies sent an inherent feeling of _wrongness_ through you, their anatomy warped and their sinewy skin covered in thick, ropey hair. _Summons,_ you thought.

One skittered across the ground on all fours behind Sakumo, its jaw dropping open and a tornado of wind burst from its maw. _Wind chakra,_ you noted, _strong against Tou-_ san's _lightning._

Sakumo’s aura crackled, his skin glowing under the darkening sky. He was gone in a literal flash, lightning streaking behind him as he dodged around the tunnel of wind and the debris it picked up. He was in the air above his grotesque attacker in a fraction of a second.

A string of hand seals too quick for your eyes and your father became a conduit; a bolt of lightning from the heavy rain clouds struck the soles of his feet and traveled through his body. He straightened his right arm and fingers to resemble a blade, directing the lightning towards the monstrosity below him. The beast was blasted apart, lumps of charred flesh and hair splattering the ground. Sakumo was as much the epicenter of chaos as the eye of a literal storm.

“(Y/N)!” Your father's voice echoed across the impromptu battlefield. A cue. Your cue. The plan! _Fuck,_ you thought. You almost missed your cue. You ducked behind your rock again.

_Dog, boar, tiger._ The seals were second nature to you by now. You tightly drew your chakra into your tenketsu points to subdue your aura in an attempt to hide yourself. Your father was behind you before the smoke of your transformation cleared, gripping you tightly. You looked no different than the regular _kunai_ your father withdrew from his pouch. With a quick sleight of hand, you were shuffled among the other blades before being launched at neck-breaking speed toward the enemy. If only you had the use of your eyes to assess the mercenary before your attack. At least with the close proximity, you could sort-of feel his position with your weak sensory abilities. You hoped your attempt to sense him didn’t give away the ambush.

You felt the large opponent's thick chakra barely duck under and sideways of you. You grazed past his neck, ripping through the coarse fabric on his shoulder and nicking the flesh underneath. As soon as you passed him, you flexed your tenketsu points, sending chakra flooding through your coils in order to break the transformation _jutsu_.

With a whirl of smoke, you were a twelve-year-old Hatake again. You grabbed one of the other _kunai_ out of the air, twirling it around your fingers, and thrusting it down into the neck of the man. Except… he wasn't within reach anymore.

You were fast, but this man was faster.

The man had begun to dodge the moment he felt your chakra flare behind him. The man spun under you and you were face-to-mask with him. The dark-skinned man's red and green eyes bore into your light blue, the look in his eyes showcasing his intentions to kill you. This man was  _going_  to kill you.

His hand was tight around the wrist of your extended arm before you could pull it out of his reach. He wrenched the _kunai_ from your hand and had it at your throat in a blink. The man held you hostage in front of your father, his arm squeezing your ribs and impeding your breathing. You reflexively gripped the wrist of the hand holding your father's _kunai_ to your neck. He was so much stronger than you. You trembled with the effort to push the blade away to prolong your life.

The man's sweat from the heat of the day moistened your skin through his clothes. The smell of his pheromones choked you more than the smoke from the blast and the ozone of Sakumo's lightning. The mercenary was strong. Swift and strong. A powerful Alpha, easily your father's equal. His musky scent of dirt and blood stuck to the back of your throat, burning it with every inhale.

Air. You needed _air_.

There was a pause in the rapid succession of chaotic movement and you saw the blank look on your father's face. But his eyes, his dark eyes flickered with panic. The situation did not bode well for you, and it was _his_ fault; he had sent you in head-first.

You barely spared a thought to Sakumo's mental crack, but the mercenary took the opportunity to goad him, to crack him further. A dark chuckle drifted from the mercenary holding you hostage as you struggled. Struggled against him, struggled to breathe, struggled to live. Sakumo's eyes flickered between yours and the other man's eyes.

“You clan shinobi are all the same. Bringing children to the battlefield and then being upset when they die.”

Sakumo's eyes flicked to the knife on your neck, his blank façade not changing as the other man continued.

“And to bring a child who is unstable with his rut? You can't tell me you didn't know he was mentally trashed? He _reeks_ of it. Let me guess… his first?” You twitched in his grip as the man laughed his humorless laugh again. You were rutting? Was that why everything had been awful today? And Sakumo _knew,_ but still brought you into the field? He didn't even tell you; what if your instability had gotten either of you killed?

Fuck, you were angry. So fucking _angry_.

How dare Sakumo.

How dare this mercenary try and use you against your father.

You growled in irritation, pushing harder against the man’s wrist. It didn’t budge under the strength of your single small hand. You muttered under your breath.

“What?” The sound of this man's voice pissed you off further, your instincts shoving aside your rational thought.

“I said,” you raised your voice to the point of nearly yelling in the silence of the night. “You fucking stink!” You punctuated your words with a crackle of blue lightning from the hand that gripped him.

With the crack of lightning customary to your alchemy, came the crack of bone. You dismantled the man's wrist on a subatomic level. Severing the man's armed hand seemed to catch him off-guard, stunning the mercenary long enough for you to wrench yourself out of his grip. You swung your leg around in a roundhouse.

The man's quick reflexes saved him once again, your heel just barely grazing his mask. He planted a heavy boot into your gut and kicked you away. You hit the ground hard, nearly bouncing as you tumbled in the direction of your shocked father. Your shoulder hit a weak spot on the hardened glass of the ground, shattering it and impaling you with shards. The pain grounded your mind slightly, bringing you back from your precipice of unadulterated rage.

You jumped to your feet, stumbling from the dizziness of being tossed like a ragdoll. You grabbed a _kunai_ from your pouch and held it at the ready on reflex. Your vision cleared just in time to see black hair-like fibers extend from the man's forearm and the severed hand, weaving together and pulling the limb up to slowly stitch it back onto his arm. Behind the man, the large summons morphed and stretched towards the man, sliding under his clothes and being absorbed into his back.

Your eyes widened at the display and you activated your Byakugan. You were thankful you were skilled enough to not need a hand seal for it anymore. You fleetingly hoped that the man’s vision wasn’t sharp enough to see you wielding the Hyuga _dojutsu_ in the darkness.

The man's chakra network was a mess, to say the least.

“Otou-san,” you whispered as you inched back to stand by Sakumo, “he has so much chakra and…”

“What do you see?”

“Only a little bit of it is his, Tou-san. He has… I’m seeing three different hearts in his body, and I’m not sure which one is his. They’re moving around.”

You heard Sakumo curse under his breath, growling deeply. “Stay behind me, you're not fighting him.”

“But-”

“(Y/N).” The commanding growl in his voice had never been directed toward you before, only ever reserved for his enemies. You had heard it directed toward Kakashi a handful of times when he was especially out of line, but never yourself. You froze, mentally recoiling from him. In that moment, your father scared you.

Before you could argue with your father any further, the mercenary across the battlefield shifted his stance into something a little less threatening. You and your father remained alert, your muscles coiled for action.

“That's a scary ability, child Alpha. No normal lightning born of chakra would be able to destroy a piece of my forearm permanently like that. Even the lightning of a Hatake.” Your overly sensitive ears picked up the mutterings about destroying his inner threads.

You ignored the angry side-eye of your father, focusing only on the mercenary. The man had given you an opening for dialogue and negotiations. You wondered why, and why he would address _you_ rather than your father. His green and red eyes bore into yours as if he was seeing through you, rather than vice versa with your Byakugan.

What did he want you to say? Your father seemed to catch on.

“How much are you being paid?”

“Probably more than you.”

“Lie. But I am a Clan Alpha, so you’re probably counting on getting a hefty auction price from my enemies for my head to make up the difference. If you turn away now, I’ll quadruple my own bounty. That should cover any excess fees you charged the Land of Wind and negate reputation damages to you.”

The man blinked in surprise, thinking it over. A few tense seconds and the mercenary spoke. “Show me.”

Your father slowly pulled a small scroll from the pouch on the small of his back, flashing it to the man to show it wasn’t a weapon. Sakumo flicked his wrist, sending the scroll sailing through the air. It tumbled to the scorched ground a few meters in front of the other man. The mercenary looked it over quietly with his threads for any traps, before popping the seal and inspecting the crates that had been stored inside. His eyes flicked up to your father, to you, and back the crates before beginning to leaf through the money inside, using the threads to maintain a safe distance.

The minutes ticked by, upwards of an hour into the night as you waited quietly for the man to decide if he should take the deal. After all, he could easily take the money and attempt to kill you and Sakumo again. Your muscles were screaming as you maintained your stance until the man seemed satisfied with the amount of money inside.

The mercenary resealed the scroll when her was finished, taking a deep breath as he eyed your father. After silently nodding to a quiet Sakumo, the man then turned to you.

“Child Alpha, I suspect you and I will eventually cross paths again. I should like to work alongside you when you’re older.”

You scoffed, “What do you want from me?”

“What makes you think I want anything from you?”

You narrowed your eyes at his cheap attempt to redirect your attention. “Because you _reek_ of self-servitude.” A part of you was salty over his earlier comment on your smell. Your rational side knew pheromones were supposed to stink to others of the same dynamic, just like siblings generally smelled sour to each other after presenting. A biological reproductive barrier of sorts.

The man peered at you silently before answering. “I suppose I’m keen on seeing your abilities from a closer vantage point.”

You growled at his obvious half-truth. “Fine, whatever. Just leave already.” You were tired and the rage simmering under your skin only seemed to sap your energy further.

“You should learn to respect your elders, child.” The man’s words held an edge to them that you brushed off. He held up his hand before you could snap at him again. “I will take my leave now. If you ever decide to take up my offer, child Alpha, you will find me working under the name Kakuzu.”

You didn’t bother to give him your own name, watching as he made his way back toward the border of the Land of Wind. You and your father both seemed to breathe a sigh of relief once the man’s menacing aura became undetectable with distance. You slipped your _kunai_ back into your pouch, making your way across the battlefield to check the bodies for survivors and any usable weapons.

“What the _hell_ was that, (Y/N)?”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.” A blatant lie.

“Don’t give me attitude. You know exactly what I’m referring to. What you did to sever his hand.”

You scoffed. “It doesn’t matter. I used it to save my own ass.” Alchemy was your secret. Yours alone. Who was he, to demand you tell him all your secrets?

“Watch your language and answer my question. I didn’t teach that to you, and I know for a fact that Yoko’s chakra nature isn’t lightning, so she couldn’t have taught you. Where the _hell_ did you get a technique like that!?”

You stood from checking yet another corpse, whirling around to face him as your temper exploded again. “From myself! It’s _my_ technique!” You vaguely wondered what his problem was.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were testing _jutsu?!_  You could have killed yourself!” Your father’s expression changed into something you didn’t recognize as something dawned on him. He whispered, “You still don’t completely trust me, do you.” A statement you didn’t deny. Even if you did deny it, he knew you too well to believe your lies, especially with your current physiological struggles.

You turned back to picking up the slew of _kunai_ that had been thrown around earlier. “Can you really blame me, _Tou-san?”_

“I don’t… _Why_ would you not trust me yet?”

You scoffed again, losing some of your bravado at the hurt in his voice. It wasn’t like you didn’t care about him and Kakashi. But the knowledge of your own reincarnation and the knowledge of not belonging in this world was a rift that you didn’t seem able to cross. It made you feel a disconnection from everything in this world, as if you had an inability to create a true bond with another person. You didn’t even trust your mother enough to tell her about your alchemy or that you weren’t technically her child. You were so afraid of exposing your situation to others in the slightest. You suffered from the crushing loneliness your reincarnation brought, but your mission came first, no matter what. You had to save the handful of people you cared about, even if they hated you for not trusting them.

“Can you blame me, _Otou-san?_ My instincts were right.”

“What?”

Your father looked small and tired from across the empty, scorched plains as you glared over your shoulder at him. “You knew I was unstable and could have gotten one or both of us killed. You didn’t even have the decency to say anything. Tell me, how am I supposed to fully trust someone who doesn’t fully trust me with information on my own health!?”

“(Y/N)…” He murmured, but your sensitive ears picked up his voice just fine. He fumbled with his words before sighing. “(Y/N), you’re going to have to learn to deal with your rut around other people and on the battlefield eventually. I just-”

“Whatever, _Otou-san._ Let’s just go.” You quietly stood from the last corpse, making your way past the battlefield and sluggishly continuing the route you had been following before the ambush.

You weren’t interested in his excuses; your pride had been shattered when the mercenary, Kakuzu, had been able to match you and your father in prowess, and what trust you had in your father had been ruined when you found out he had been keeping things from you. In your mind, he might as well have been lying.

“Where are you going? The ambush we were hired to deal with is over.”

It was hard to hide the bite in your voice. “All of Nakamura- _sama_ ’s soldiers are dead. I’m going to finish the patrol for them. The least I can do is carry out their final duty after they died as bait for us.” You wouldn’t admit to yourself that you were only doing it because you could identify with them as a soldier.

You barely heard your father’s sigh over the breeze as he followed you into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took longer than I thought it would to finish and hasn't really been edited. I've been emotionally recovering, so I wasn't writing for about 2 weeks. Hopefully the length will make up for it a little bit. It's around 3.4k words and my average chapter is only 1.8k-2.4k.


	14. [11]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your first rut is hell, but you patch things up with Sakumo. Also, you seize a chance opportunity to save Rin.

You spent the rest of the week in a miserable condition, feverish and aching to the bone as you hid in the shed you, Sakumo, and Kakashi had been assigned to stay in. You felt a little guilty when your father had moved himself and Kakashi to the rooftop to sleep after your pheromones began to make Kakashi sick. You tried to control them but had been unsuccessful so far. Your little brother hadn’t been happy about the change in sleeping arrangements but had been placated when Sakumo had told him that he would be taking your place on the patrols for the week.

You and Sakumo hadn’t exactly been on speaking terms since the first patrol. The rational side of you knew you were just being petty by ignoring his attempts to reconcile, but even the sound of his voice sparked your anger. It took every ounce of respect you had for your father to keep from snapping at him. After the second day of secluding yourself, Sakumo stopped trying.

You felt a little guilty about continuing this way, but you didn’t trust yourself to not say something you would later regret if you spoke. You were silently thankful that Sakumo continued to care for you in your delirium. He quietly brought you your meals after he and Kakashi ate, kept your water pouches fresh, your bathing pail full of cold water for your fever, and even affixed dark sheets over the windows to block the sun from your sensitive eyes.

On the second day, you had attempted to unfasten the bottom of the sheets from the windows to allow fresh air in, but the breeze would occasionally blow them too far open, the bright sun sending pain though your eyes. And the _smells._ A squad of soldiers passed by the window, their chatter making your head ache, but their scents were far worse. The breeze brought in their mixed pheromones, burning your nose as they turned your stomach. You vomited once before you quickly refastened the sheets, your stomach flipping with the lingering smell of something musty.

For six days, you suffered. You were riddled with fever, sweat beading on your skin only moments after wiping it with a rag of cold water. The rag irritated your sensitive skin, though the chill of the water felt nice. You were wracked by chills, but your sheets, and even your clothes _hurt._ Though you knew it was coming, the sheer level of physical _need_ you felt caught you off guard; somewhere in your hazy mind, you hoped that in the future you would be able to learn how to curb this awful state of being. But the _emotional_ need you felt was so, _so_ much more unbearable, having already been in a weak and lonely emotional state before the start of this. You weren’t sure how many times you cried, and when you did, you weren’t sure if it was due to your external or internal misery. Probably both.

By the time your recovery began on the seventh day, you were exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally. The eighth day, your father came in to tell you to they were spending an extra day or two at the outpost until you were ready for travel. For the first time in a week, you looked at him. _Really_ looked. Your father seemed worse-for-wear after having to witness your various breakdowns. You knew it couldn’t have been easy having to watch your child go through something like this and weren’t sure how to thank him. But you knew you needed to clear the air, both metaphorically and literally.

“Otou-san?”

The sound of your quiet, raspy voice stopped Sakumo in his tracks. He looked back at you, wariness in his eyes. Probably suspecting you to still be angry. You were, but nothing like you _had_ been.

“I’m sorry,” you croaked, unable to meet his eyes after your apology. “I wasn’t really myself, and I said some things I didn’t mean.”

Sakumo’s face softened and he stepped closer to the futon you were still sitting on. You looked at your hands as they clenched your thin blanket.

“I am also sorry. I knew this was coming, but I also knew you would need to learn how to deal with it while going about your business. I had wanted you to get the experience while still under my protection. I admit it was the wrong choice, especially for your first rut. Not only that, but I broke my own rule and underestimated an enemy. I almost got the both of us killed. I apologize for my mistakes last week. Please forgive me.”

Your eyes widened and your anger shrunk at the sight of your father on his knees and bowing deeply to you. Your jaw worked to say something, anything to him. “T-Tou-san!” You choked out, flustered at his long-winded apology. Unsure of what to do, you just set a hand on his head. Your face heated in embarrassment and you looked away from the hand you had in his hair. “Don’t. I- ah. Forgive you. Let’s just call things even.”

Sakumo looked up and chuckled at you. Your hand fell from him and he grabbed it, pulling you into a hug. “I missed you, (Y/N).” He sighed, a weight seeming to lift from his shoulders. You could relate.

You buried your face into his neck, acutely aware of how badly you stank, and were glad Sakumo didn’t seem to mind. “I missed you too.”

* * *

Your party left the next day, you having spent enough time recovering and were now buzzing with energy. You spent the day traveling, the trip back far more pleasant for you than the trip out to the border. You once again spent the night in Nakamura’s castle and spent the next morning feasting. It was a celebration the _daimyo_ threw in thanks for the successful mission.

You couldn’t seem to enjoy yourself at the celebration as much as everyone else; it all seemed a little excessive to you. Not to mention, your mind was still elsewhere. You wondered how Nakamura could just forget about how many of his men lost their lives out there. To such a small nation, losing a platoon in the blink of an eye had to be damaging, in addition to all the lives lost before he called in your father. But the man didn’t even have the decency to pick up the costs of their funerals, instead throwing a _celebration_ with the money and décor, fueling your distaste for the man. Perhaps that was why you couldn’t seem to stomach much.

The second thing on your mind was Rin. Your party was leaving after the morning’s feast was over. So far, the best plan you had been able to come up with was to snatch her and run. You had no qualms about using your _dojutsu,_ and even your alchemy to save her if you had to. You would easily be able to catch the soldiers in the castle by surprise. You were also sure that you would be able to outpace them to the border. Unfortunately, there was one factor that made the plan unstable: Sakumo. You weren’t sure if he would allow you to kidnap a girl and destroy his alliance with the Land of Birds in one fell swoop. After all, he had even admitted to you that Hatake put their personal alliances before their blood loyalties.

As the feast came to a close, you found yourself following your father into the throne room again. Nakamura seated himself up on his dais and you stood next to your father, Kakashi on his other side. Time for your father to be paid and for exiting flourishes. You glanced around, wishing you had better sensory capabilities when you didn’t see Rin. Your bangs weren’t quite long enough to hide the use of your Byakugan, either. You hadn’t seen her since before the excursion to the border and your gut clenched in worry. Not good.

“(Y/N),” your father’s voice snapped you out of your mind, “Nakamura-sama is addressing you. Pay attention.”

“Right.” You blinked up at the man you steadily found yourself loathing. “Nakamura-sama?”

The piece of shit belted out a laugh. “I said, your father told me that you had helped make dealings with the strong mercenary that was hired.”

You were silent, eyeing him as you waited for him to continue. What was his angle? You tried to not bare your teeth at the man.

He coughed at your silence. “…I’d like to thank you personally. Is there something I can reward you with?”

You froze, an idea coming to you. A stupid idea that probably wouldn’t work. “Anything?” Your father stiffened beside you, but you kept your gaze steadily on Nakamura.

“Within reason of course. I can’t give you my status or my castle. How about a possession? Money perhaps?”

You didn’t want his filthy money. She was something of value to him, so you were unsure how this would end, but it was a last-ditch effort before you resorted to kidnapping. “Give me Rin.”

Silence. Then your father was hissing under his breath at you, his hand heavy on your shoulder. Your eyes didn’t leave Nakamura’s narrowed ones.

“The girl?” Nakamura’s voice was low. He wasn’t fooling you by being dissociative and not using her name. “I heard you’d taken a liking to her. Something to do with your newly presented dynamic, I suppose. How about one of the others?” You supposed he got his information about you from his soldiers. Of course he would have the soldiers spying on you and your father; even though you were hired by him, you were still an outsider.

“No. I want Rin.” Your own voice dropped to match his, a growl tinging it as your eyes shadowed in threat. “Or would you back out of your word as a _daimyo_?”

Your father attempted to yank you back, but you pooled chakra at the bottom of your feet to adhere you to the floor where you stood. You wouldn’t give a centimeter to the man in front of you, even if your father intervened. Sakumo stepped between the two of you as he growled a warning at you before turning to try and placate the seething Nakamura.

Except, he wasn’t incensed. His eyes were closed in contemplation. They cracked open in the silence of the court to look at you. “You really won’t be placated with anything else?”  
  
“I’m not leaving without her.” You raised your chin to level a neutral gaze at him. A promise, and you hoped he understood that.

He closed his eyes again before looking at one of the women standing off to the side and making a gesture. The woman scampered from the room. Nakamura looked back at you. “You have guts, kid, and I don’t think I like it. But I can see what that mercenary saw, as much as I hate to admit it. Alright, then. You may have her.” It seemed he _did_ understand the look in your eyes.

It was silent again as you waited for Rin to show up, your father standing in stunned silence at the development. You kept eye contact with Nakamura during the silence as you waited for Rin to show up; you wouldn’t give him a single centimeter and looking away now would be _submitting_ to the foul man in front of you. You wouldn’t have anything of the sort. No, you would never tuck your chin to scum. Besides, General Armstrong – and the whole of Briggs - would have your head if you did something like that.

When a confused Rin was finally lead through one of the doors, you snapped your attention to her. Your eyes flicked across her form to note that she still seemed in good health and that she had a small sack tossed over her shoulder. Her meager possessions, you dared to assume.

You called to her, beckoning her closer. She timidly made her way to stand next to you, but not after her confused eyes flicked to Nakamura for permission – something that boiled your blood even though you had realized that she hadn’t been told that she no longer served Nakamura.

“(Y/N)-san? What’s going on?” She whispered as she stood close to you in her feelings of displacement, her shoulder gently brushing your arm.

“You’re coming with me.” Your answer was clipped, but you would answer her questions later. Now, you had to focus on leaving before Nakamura changed his mind, which sadly, you couldn’t trust his type on.

Your father was tense, seemingly also not trusting Nakamura’s sudden amicability. Nakamura addressed your little party again to dismiss the lot o you from his presence, but not without extra parting words for you. “Little Alpha, should I ever hear of your presence in my country again, I’ll have you arrested. You are not welcome to step foot here again.”

You tossed a questioning look over your shoulder to level an indifferent look at him. There wasn’t a chance you would ever come here willingly again. You were sure he had his reasons; this probably hurt his pride, conceding to a child’s will. Not that you cared for his feelings.

You turned back, noticing your father following you out. He obviously didn’t trust Nakamura to not send guards after you or take a cheap shot. You were glad he seemed to trust you on this, though you were positive you didn’t need his protection against non-shinobi.  


It was quiet and tense as your little group made their way out, Rin’s timid curiosity seeming to dwindle as she began putting the situation together herself. Relaxing as you all neared the border was a relief, though you could have survived well enough without Kakashi’s barbs.

“She’d better not slow us down.”

You clicked your teeth, rolling your eyes at his attitude. He was making it rather obvious he didn’t approve of having to travel with the girl that had a crush on him. You couldn’t help but aggravate him a little; you were in a sour mood from being on edge after talking to Nakamura. “Where are you in a hurry to?”

Kakashi scowled at you. “I’m _not_ helping you take care of her.”

“I didn’t ask you too.” You rolled your eyes at him, feeling Rin shrink into your side at his mood. There really was no call for his behavior. “I can take care of her myself.”

“You’d better not be doing anything _weird_ with her.” Kakashi gave you a look.

Your cheeks burned in both horror and embarrassment at the insinuation. You snapped at him. “Don’t be saying impolite things when talking about Rin! She’s my _imouto_ now, so I won’t tolerate you treating her badly.”

You slung an arm over her shoulders and pulled her into a sort-of hug, feeling her stiffen against your side. “Really?” she asked bashfully, her fingers twining into the hems of her long sleeves.

“I won’t let anyone hurt you, okay?” You looked down at her with a little smile. She grinned up at you and wove her arms around you. Her little hands gripped your clothes before looking down at the ground bashfully as you continued to walk forward. You stepped passed Kakashi, who had an odd look on his face as he whispered the word _‘imouto.’_  He looked... Disappointed? Worried? You couldn't tell.

Sakumo followed the three of you, a warmer glint in his eyes as he looked at your and Rin’s linked bodies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bombed at least one exam for this and I was still late posting >.>  
> (and it's still not edited jfc)


	15. [12]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mostly filler and you figure some things out with some help from your father before traveling to your next destination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my word this chapter took way too long. I apologize for the partial hiatus and the delay, but I've switched jobs, started a new semester, and moved twice in the last four months. Ugh.

You weren’t sure where you were headed, though you didn't ask because your father seemed to have a plan. Two weeks went by, and you got to know Rin a little better. During your days of travel, you occasionally spent time teaching Rin things.  
  
Not long after you left the Land of Birds, you used your Byakugan to assure yourself of her health – yes, you believed her when she said she hadn’t been hurt, but you _had_ to be sure Nakamura hadn’t done anything. While doing this, you noticed that she had a small chakra network and offered to teach her basic things such as flow and control. She didn’t have much of an aptitude for anything more, though along with her self-defense training, you figured it could be useful. She also seemed to like the tidbits of first aid you taught her – which plants were good for burns, which had relaxing effects, and which were good for disinfection. Your father watched all of this in silence, an odd look on his face. ­­­­  
  
At night, you tended to sleep next to Rin, allowing her to cuddle up next to you in your blankets. At first it was odd. You weren’t used to a little sibling wanting to nuzzle up next to you for safety, but after the night you startled awake from another nightmare you began to warm up to the idea. She had hugged you tightly while still half-asleep, purring and petting your hair to soothe your terrors, and you found you didn’t mind so much. You found a confidante in your little sister, telling her of the content of your muddied nightmares, your fear and worry over not seeing your mother in the last few years, among a handful of other things. Though you didn’t tell her of your previous life, you told her things in the dark of night that you didn’t even confess to your parents, hiccupping in your efforts to keep your tears at bay as she missed sleep to listen to you and to give you hugs and pet your hair.  
  
It was something you missed – Rin’s gentle, unjudging affection for her new big brother was something that you didn’t remember having in a very long time. Not since a night so long ago that you sat up with Alphonse because of his sleepless condition. That was around two decades ago, according to your stream of consciousness.  
  
Tonight though, was not one of the nights Rin inadvertently healed your mind a little. Your party was nestled into a small clearing in the woods, Rin and Kakashi both already asleep, while you had yet to succumb. Your father was taking first watch tonight so he was also awake.  
  
“Tou-san?” Your eyes watched the small fire crackle beyond your bare feet. Your father hummed in acknowledgement, so you continued. “Where are you so intent on going?”

Sakumo didn’t miss a beat. “We’re headed to meet with the Uchiha.”  
  
“The Uchiha Clan?” You looked up at that to see Sakumo nod once before going silent yet again. It seemed he wasn’t in the mood to chat, so you were going to have to ask for the answers you wanted.  
  
“Why?”  
  
The rasp of his whetstone meeting one of his kunai filled the silence until he answered. “I have an alliance with their clan alpha, Uchiha Tajima. While in the Land of Birds, I received a message from him. He wishes to hire me to assist his clan in an upcoming battle.”  
  
No wonder he had been a little quiet. He was pulling his children into a battle. A real battle. Not like the little scrap with the mercenary in the Land of Birds. A massive clan-on-clan battle full of bloodshed and slaughter, where he wouldn’t be able to protect you or Kakashi. A scary thought, to not be able to entirely rely on him for backup. Your stomach knotted up, remembering the bloodshed of the war against the homunculi and thinking of your untrained little sister amidst such a terrible chaos.

Your stomach lurched at that thought. Child soldiers. You had dragged her into a life like this. What had you been thinking!? She wasn’t cut out for this! In saving her, you had doomed her. She didn’t deserve this. You struggled not to vomit the bile creeping up the back of your throat.  
  
“How long until we reach them?” You asked.  
  
“Not long. A day until we reach the edge of their territory and another day or so of travel by foot to reach their compound. We are ahead of schedule, so we will be there for a few weeks until the battle. Tajima-sama is hosting us there until then.”  
  
“Is there anything to know about the Uchiha beforehand? Besides, you know. The obvious ‘don’t look into their eyes’ thing?” Your father gave you a look at that. You both knew your Byakugan nullified that notion, but you would have to keep an eye on Rin and Kakashi. Just in case. Just because someone was friendly, didn’t mean they were your friend.  
  
“Not really, but their eyes are sharp regardless of their dojutsu. They don’t miss much.” Your father sighed, and for the first time, you noticed the shadows playing into the creases of his face. He was stressed and showing his age. “They use both hawks and cats sometimes. Occasionally their clan births one that can use lightning natured chakra. They almost always use fire though. They’re naturally talented and have good bloodlines for raw prowess, but so do you.” You frowned at that. What did bloodlines have to with anything? You worked damn hard for your strength. Besides, you were still comparable to a sapling when standing next to your father’s strength.  
  
The sound of Sakumo sharpening his blade continued for a few minutes until he spoke up again. “Kakashi told me you deferred the heir position?”  
  
You crossed your legs and stirred the fire a bit to keep it from dying down too much. You hummed an affirmative, your eyes snapping up to your father when you heard him chuckle.  
  
“Why is that funny?” You asked him.  
  
He hummed, another quiet laugh drifting out of him before he answered you. “No reason. I just find it ironic that you deferred the position and then adopted a little sister. If I didn’t know you had given up your position, I would have thought you had already started building a Household. It seems to come naturally to you.”  
  
You looked back at the fire. Was that what he had been thinking lately when he watched you and Rin together? It wasn’t like that was your intention, you had just wanted to help Rin out of her bad situation. You hoped Kakashi didn’t think you were building a House too, though he might. He _had_ been rather abrasive toward Rin and more grumpy than usual to you.  
  
“Building a Household wasn’t what I meant to do. I just…” you trailed off.

“I know. But you might have already started. I think you should speak to Kakashi about things. He’s upset, but it might not be entirely about that.”  
  
You scowled at the fire. “You don’t have to tell me that, but I won’t abandon Rin. Not after her first family abandoned her,” you hissed. A small nagging thought in the back of your mind said you were selfishly clinging to her because you had come to lean on her emotionally. You did your best to disregard thoughts that you were purposefully dragging her into a life that is probably not what’s best _for her._  
  
Sakumo put down his weapon and the sharpening stone to raise his hands placatingly. “I didn’t say she had to go anywhere. Just that you and Kakashi need to clear up the tension between you two. Stepping onto another clan’s turf with bad blood between you two will only cause problems.”

Your ire dimmed at the reasoning and genuine concern for his sons that oozed out of every one of his pores. You swallowed at the thought of something bad happening in the battle because you or Kakashi were sore at each other.  
  
“Do you think he’ll talk?” you whispered, “He’s still not one to open up to me about things such as _feelings_.”  
  
“No, but you can’t hardly blame him. You’re not exactly the easiest person for him to approach.”  
  
“I want to respect the boundaries he put in place. He never wanted me close as a brother, and _barely_ a friend after a while, so I didn’t try to push it.”  
  
“Maybe that’s your problem.”

You struggled not to seethe at him. “My problem? How is me being respectful to his wishes _my_ problem?”

Sakumo relaxed back against the trunk of the tree he sat against. “You forget that he is a lot younger than you. Not only that, but you are very mature for your age. I would think you picked that up from your mother’s parenting, but I’m not so sure.”  
  
You struggled not to wince at that, though you supposed his trained eyes could pick up on the tenseness in your expression. You hoped he wasn’t looking too much into the topic of your thoughts. Distracting yourself with his words, you decided he was right in that you were treating Kakashi as an equal to yourself. Which he was, in a manner of speaking. But you had been treating him as an equal _adult._ You sort of understood what your father was getting at. You didn’t have much experience dealing with children, but your trip in this growing body was not exactly easy. It was confusing at the best of times to struggle with feelings, skills, and thinking, that no longer came easy to you because of your undeveloped body and brain. You couldn’t imagine what it would be like to _actually_ be a child. Probably very turbulent because they didn’t have the ability to reference to an adult mind as a way to ground themselves.  
  
That turbulence must have been what your father was referring to. Kakashi had changed since you first met, hell, _you_ had changed since then. So, to be rigid in thinking Kakashi was still the four-year-old that despised you and didn’t want to know you was probably not a good way to handle the seven-year-old boy sleeping across the fire. You would have to reassess him and your relationship with him from an unbiased viewpoint.  
  
You felt Rin shift in her sleep next to you and looked down at her. She looked peaceful. You couldn’t remember what it was like to get peaceful sleep for several nights in a row. You hoped her sleep would never be plagued by nightmares, like your own was. You resolved to do what you could to prevent that from happening. Perhaps the Uchiha would be willing to temporarily house her so she didn’t have to see the battlefield with you? That was a thought to extrapolate tomorrow, you supposed.  
  
Bidding your father goodnight after mulling on your thoughts for a few more minutes, you slipped under your blanket. You curled up with Rin on the shared mat, your little sister burrowing into you for warmth for the night.  
  
\--------------------  
  
The next day, you marched through the forest after Kakashi, your father leading the way through the brush. You carried Rin on your back, your father carrying your and Rin’s packs. Her feet had gotten tender from the morning’s dew on her sandals making her feet soft. She traversed roads well, but her feet weren’t quite accustomed to traveling through the forest yet. Until then, you told her you would carry her as much as your strength allowed.

You found yourself traipsing through a small clearing as you played little games of riddles with Rin, when your father decided to stop for a late lunch. Dried meat and bread for the fourth day in a row since you had left the trading settlement to set into the woods toward the Uchiha. The food was the same as your breakfast, but your father wouldn’t let you wield a weapon to hunt so close to the Uchiha territory. With the Uchiha so on edge from consistent warfare, if one spotted you alone and wielding a weapon, they could easily mistake you as an enemy spy. Being a child made no difference to them, or any other shinobi. Children were used in warfare as both spies and soldiers often enough.

You were watching Kakashi once again blow off Rin’s subtle attempts at friendship with him when your father spoke up.  
  
“Kakashi, (Y/N). No chakra. Toss down your weapons.” The bread you swallowed almost made you choke when you watched Sakumo back up his words by unstrapping his weapon pouch and tossing it to the side. He didn’t look up and his body language stayed relaxed, though you noticed the tightening of the tendons on his wrist inside his sleeve. “Now,” he iterated.

You wished he would have let you take a look around with your Byakugan, but that would require chakra and his order was clear. Bewildered, your fingers flicked open the ties securing your pouch and tossing it into a little pile with your father’s.  
  
“All of them,” Sakumo looked pointedly at you and you tensed. Hesitantly, you pulled a few spare kunai from where you had them loosely bound to your forearms under your long sleeves. You tossed them in the pile as Kakashi tossed his own pouch.  
  
A mere few seconds passed, and you felt several chakra signatures flare around you. Your heart lurched. How long had you all been surrounded?  
  
Your father didn’t look up as he greeted the group. “Uchiha.”  
  
“Hatake-sama,” one spoke, “you aren’t expected for another eleven days.”  
  
“Running ahead of schedule. Tajima-sama said ‘as soon as possible’ in his summons request, delivered by hawk three weeks ago. It’s in the bottom pouch, if you need to verify his words.”

The subtle challenge in your father’s tone made the Uchiha’s chakra flare a little. Sakumo had backed him into a corner and would be forcing him to choose between doing his duty as a border guard and doubting his clan head’s words. Neither were good options and you silently praised your father’s silver tongue, noting his subtle tactic down for use later.  
  
“And the extra?” The Uchiha barked to your father, clearly displeased.  
  
“She was picked up as a guest after I received the request. I already sent word back to Tajima-sama about her presence.”  
  
You bristled at them speaking about Rin as if she wasn’t there. Only the wisdom to let your father handle the Uchiha kept the growl from rising from you at the rudeness. You listened as the Uchiha growled back and forth with your father a few times before he made the decision to verify things with the Uchiha clan alpha. You watched from the corner of your eyes as the Uchiha called down a hawk and sent it off with a message. You surmised that message via hawk _would_ be the fastest way to do things, since it wouldn’t be smart of them to send someone away when they were suspicious of your group.  
  
The Uchiha would be able to traverse the forest more quickly than your little party because Rin still didn’t have enough chakra control to leap through the trees. That meant, if the situation went sour then you would have to carry her, leaving your father and Kakashi to fight. Not good odds.  
  
Soon enough though, the hawk swooped back down into the little clearing, its screech interrupting your derailing thoughts. Your tense shoulders slackened a little as the situation seemed to resolve itself, the Uchiha’s body language relaxing as well. You hadn’t thought the initial contact with the Uchiha would have had such a bump in it. Normally your father was welcomed when he approached an ‘allied’ territory. Though, you really hadn’t met any large clans. You couldn’t imagine the Hyuuga being any more welcoming than the prickly Uchiha, so you supposed this was smoother than it could have been.  
  
It took several more hours to walk through the woods in what you assumed was the Uchiha compound. It wouldn’t have taken so long if you all had traveled by treetop, but that wasn’t happening until Rin was better at chakra control. You couldn’t help but send sour looks in the direction of the clearly irritated Uchiha patrol. You hated their obvious feelings of superiority. Thankfully they had let you collect your weapons back up, their weight a pointless comfort so deep into Uchiha territory.  
  
In the late evening, your group approached the compound, fear prickling in your belly to see how fortified it was. It was no Fort Briggs, that’s for sure, but it was a large village surrounded by tall, smooth stone walls, their crest painted onto the walls and hung on banners. It reminded you of the Hyuuga, shinobi patrolling the walls and surrounding woods. Your hands sweat, your fingers itching to brush against a blade with each new gaze that turned your way.  
  
You distracted yourself by watching your father greet a man with short dark hair. He was around the same age as Sakumo, both weathered from their shinobi lives. A long-haired woman stood at the man’s side, her sharp eyes softening over the three children that totted after Sakumo. Rin gripped your hand and shuffled a little behind you as the woman’s eyes glanced over her. You squeezed your sister’s hand, attempting to reassure her of the situation.  
  
“Hatake-sama,” the man greeted with a stiff expression, his eyes only a touch warmer toward your father than his frosty tone. You wondered if that was a good sign, or a bad one.  
  
“Uchiha-sama, Uchiha-sama,” Sakumo answered, greeting them each in turn as he nodded his head in a shallow bow to both. This man was the head of the Uchiha and the woman was his wife, it seemed. Your father’s eyes were warmer than the dark-haired man’s, and the woman greeted your group with a smile, so you guessed the earlier frigidness from the man was just his personality. Or so you hoped. The three of them seemed to be on decent terms, at least as far as you could tell with your limited understanding of formalities and nuanced conversation.  
  
“I’m relieved you were able to arrive quickly. I have arranged for your family to stay within the guest house. Come.” The couple turned, leading your little party further into the noble clan’s home. Torches, lanterns, and window candles were being lit along the streets to ward off the incoming darkness for a little while longer.  
  
The layout of the little village was odd, but predictable for this type of hierarchy: the head family’s house was the largest and sitting on the highest ground, the other buildings clustered around it in a sort of horseshoe with the big house at the back and a wide path leading up to it. You peeked to the side and noticed the meandering paths through the many buildings. It was a similar setup to the Hyuga, but more rugged. Less _planned_ than the Hyuga’s sharp corners and measured streets. Less stifling.  
  
It reminded you a little of the Miyamoto, with their architecture working with and around the terrain, rising and falling with the rocks of the mountains. A pang of longing hit you as you thought about your mother. You hoped she had been doing well with the little clan in the three plus years you hadn’t seen her. Letters to and from her had dwindled and stopped a while ago, with your constant traveling. It was hard for letters to follow your father’s unpredictable travel.  
  
You missed her.  
  
Perhaps sometime later you could bring up the idea of visiting to your father. It wasn’t _that_ awful of an idea, was it? And you could introduce her to Rin! You smiled at the thought. Your mother would like her. You weren’t sure if she wanted a daughter, but she knew you wanted siblings, so you were sure she would love Rin.  
  
The _thud_ of feet on wooden steps alerted you to the arrival of your group to the front of the house you would be staying in. It was modest, typical of a shinobi’s house, but emblemized with the red and white Uchiha crest – a war fan or something – that you had seen painted on most of the doors and on the clothing of every curious or wary clan member you passed on the road to the little house.  
  
Your father gestured for you and your siblings dismissal with a flick of his wrist. You bounced up the steps and darted through the shoji to explore, leaving the adults to whatever adults here do. Probably talk mission things. If so, you would hear about it later. Stopping in the genkan, a giddy feeling of excitement thrummed through your body, your childish side eager to explore. Stripping off your sandals and setting them neatly aside, you peered into the darkness of the little house ahead of you just as Kakashi and then Rin entered in the front door after you.  
  
“Wait (Y/N),” Kakashi growled as you stepped into the next room. You snickered and stuck your tongue out at him before darting over the tatami further into the house and _relishing_ the offended noise that came from him. You faintly heard Rin giggle at Kakashi, the two of them stumbling after you.  
  
A quick, subtle flicker of your chakra and you could see the house in its entirety, as well as the adults outside, the Uchiha clan as a whole, and the nearby forest. All in exquisite detail. You ignored the flickers of chakra from the adults outside, their networks tensing in response to your own chakra use.  
  
Instead, you flung open random doors and darted through them, a laugh bubbling out of your throat when you saw Kakashi try to dart after you in the darkness, only to slam his shoulder into the corner of a door. You felt a little bad, but figured he’d be fine and continued exploring the little house, mapping it out and deciding to dump your bag in one of the bedrooms – there were two. Rifling through your bag, you fished out a flintstone.  
  
You went to a little cabinet in the corner, opening it to grab a candle you had seen inside with your Byakugan. Flicking a kunai out of your pouch, you struck it against the flint until a spark caught the wick. You cringed when you realized you probably should have done that in a bowl or outside instead of on the wooden cabinet and surrounded by wood house frame, paper walls, and tatami flooring. A thought about your excitement overruling your logic made you hesitate, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care as much as you should while in such a good mood. You chalked it up to being tired.  
  
You took ahold of the little candle, setting it in a little bowl that was also in the cabinet – likely there for the exact reason you were using it – and made your way through the house again, lighting candles in other rooms along the way. Slowly, the dark little house came to life. The wood was rich and carved, the paper walls painted to depict beautiful landscape, the warm glow of the candles dancing around house and giving it a cozy atmosphere.  
  
When you deemed the house sufficiently lit, you deactivated your Byakugan and made your way toward what you assumed to be a dining room. Your father, Kakashi, and Rin were all already there, setting out a simple meal that had been gifted by the Uchiha. Your stomach growled and you sent a silent thanks.  
  
The evening was rather quiet and uneventful as the meal was finished, the dishes cleaned, and the issue of bathing debated. After such long travels today, you, Kakashi, and Rin outvoted your father, who suggested going to the bath house, in order to use a bucket and go straight to bed. Kakashi’s griping was particularly loud about having to traipse down to the sento and walk all the way back before bed.  
  
You agreed with his sentiments, though more because it was past the time for Rin to have been allowed to bathe. Your father said that the bath house had only one pool, so the Uchiha switched times for bathing between the men and the women and young children. The idea of being able to soak and scrub clean while your little sister would not be able to, made you feel a little guilty, not to mention the anxiety with having to leave her in the care of strangers. Also, you weren’t keen on the idea of being in a social environment with a bunch of strangers tonight, but you kept that sentiment to yourself.  
  
So instead, it was agreed to use a bucket and the personal rags you all carried in your rucksacks for tonight, and after a good rest and more time to get familiar with the Uchiha tomorrow, you would all use the sento.  
  
That night, everyone gravitated to the same room for sleeping without a word, safety and instincts beckoning you all to sleep the habitual way in the corner. As soon as your head hit the pillow, you were drifting off to sleep, curled around Rin with Kakashi’s back pressed against yours and your father on the other side of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is pretty much all filler and nothing too exciting happens. I was hoping to introduce another Uchiha besides Tajima and his wife, but alas. It didn't happen because the chapter got too long and it's too tardy to hold it longer.  
> It's only been scanned while my eyes burn from lack of sleep, so if there are any horrific mistakes, please ignore them. I'll edit it better some other time ^^"


End file.
